


The Boy Raised by Wolves

by skargasm



Series: Raised by Wolves [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Abuse of Authority, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, BAMF Chris Argent, BAMF Stiles, Bullying, Character Death, Child Abuse, Evil Gerard Argent, Evil Kate Argent, Fanart, Full Shift Werewolves, Good Alpha Talia Hale, Grooming, Growing Up, Growing Up Together, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kanima Jackson Whittemore, Left Hand Peter Hale, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Murder Husbands, Sexual Coercion, Slow Burn, Warning: Kate Argent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:01:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 23
Words: 43,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27042403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skargasm/pseuds/skargasm
Summary: When the Sheriff and his wife are killed as a by-product of a turf war with outside wolves, the Hales take in their young son, Stiles, and raise him as their own. Peter – the Pack’s Left Hand – eliminates anyone who dares to hurt Stiles, although he doesn’t know why.Add the strange relationship he’s building with the hunter’s boy, Christopher Argent, and Peter is finding his life stranger than he could ever have expected.
Relationships: Chris Argent/Peter Hale, Chris Argent/Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Chris Argent/Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale/Jackson Whittemore, Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Raised by Wolves [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1973692
Comments: 475
Kudos: 736
Collections: Start Reading, Teen wolf





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TummySassAndAss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TummySassAndAss/gifts), [mephistopholes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mephistopholes/gifts), [devilscut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/devilscut/gifts).



> Warnings:
> 
> * Underage and Rape/Non con relate to Kate Argent/OMC  
> * Violence is canon level but still kinda ugh  
> * Some gore and descriptions of violence/torture

“Will he make it?” Talia sighed, wondering just why Peter was so attached to this young man. At the age of eleven, Peter had demonstrated quite clearly that he could be stoic, impartial, unemotional – as insisted upon by their parents. But this boy – this boy had brought something out in Peter that Talia didn’t quite understand.

“I don’t know. His injuries are extensive and – “

“This is **our** fault!” Peter shouted, turning to her with amber eyes blazing. “If we hadn’t been fighting off the Curtis Clan, his family’s car wouldn’t have gone off the road, and his parents wouldn’t be dead. He wouldn’t be dying.”

“I know that – but that doesn’t mean – “

“You could take him in – we have the family name.”

“It’s not as easy as that and you know it.” Talia put her hands on her little brother’s shoulders, noticing for the first time that her brother was beginning to grow into his wolf. His shoulders were already broader than the average boy’s, his musculature more pronounced. It was exactly as their father had explained to her – his wolf knew the role Peter would have to play and was preparing him, preparing itself. “There might be relatives that could take him in – the Sheriff or his wife might have had family – “

“They don’t. I heard them talking at the nurses’ station. He has no one.” Peter turned to Talia, looking up at her with pleading eyes. “Please, Tal – I can’t explain why, but – he _has_ to make it and he has to come with us.”

“Peter – “

“You’re the Alpha now. And the Curtis Clan have run away with their tails between their legs. What if it’s the only way for him to survive?”

“Peter – the Curtis clan may be gone but we are barely stable! With the kids – “

“Derek would love a little brother! And I’ll help take care of him – I’ll help him with his transition. Please.”

“What if it doesn’t take? It would be my first bite as Alpha – what if I did it wrong?” Talia felt so young at that moment – this was someone’s life they were talking about. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for how she might feel if the bite didn’t take. Or even if it did.

“It will take – I can feel it. This is what’s meant to happen, Talia.” Peter was so sure, his gaze so steady that Talia found herself nodding. 

“Very well. But not now – there are too many nurses around in the daytime. I’ll do it tonight.”

“But what if he doesn’t survive until tonight? Do it – “

“Peter! I mean it – if I bite him now and the day nurses check – or he goes into rejection – that could bring too much attention onto us! We can’t take that risk!” She put as much alpha command into her voice as she could. “We’ll come back tonight. Besides, I need to start the paperwork for adoption – or at least to foster him. Mom and Dad may have had all of that in hand, but I’ve barely made my way through half the paperwork they left behind.”

“But – “

“You can come with me to Deaton – perhaps you can explain to him just why you are so adamant that this boy needs to be with us. Now, say goodbye – we need to go.” Reluctantly, Peter turned and leaned over, placing a kiss on the boy’s forehead and tracing his hand down the side of his face to leave his scent behind. 

“We’ll be back, Stiles. Don’t worry – I’ll take care of you,” Peter whispered but Talia heard it nevertheless. She had never seen her brother like this – so caring, compassionate. Even with her children, he treated them with a mild distance, as though not wishing to get too attached. It had often proven to be quite eerie, especially since they were relatively close in age.

“Stiles?”

“His real name is too long and weird sounding, and people will make fun of it – Stiles is a good name. It’s close to his surname too.”

“Okay, well we’ll ask _Stiles_ how he feels about that when he wakes up. In the meantime, let’s go.” Practically dragging her brother along behind her, Talia made her way out of the hospital room, making sure to sign them out at the nurses’ station. The police were still investigating just what had happened to the Sheriff and the little boy was under careful watch just in case it had been deliberate. 

Fortunately, they had tidied away all evidence of wolves at the crash site – they had been unable to save the Sheriff and his wife but had managed to get the young boy to the hospital in time. The guilt she felt at that would stay with her – perhaps this would go some way to alleviating that. 

Talia tugged Peter towards her car. The sooner she spoke to Deaton, the sooner she could make an informed decision about this being the right thing. 

“Who was the nurse?” she asked.

“What nurse?”

“The one who smiled at you when we were leaving?”

“Her name’s Melissa – she’s the one who mainly looks after Stiles.” Peter climbed into the passenger seat and buckled his seat belt as Talia did the same on the driver’s side. “I think her son is one of Stiles’ friends.”

“Would she – “

“No. I heard her talking to him – she doesn’t know I was in the bathroom. Her husband won’t allow her to take him in.”

“What a dick!” 

“His name is Rafe McCall.”

“Peter – “ Talia said in a warning tone.

“What?”

“I know that voice. That’s the way you said that boy’s name who was taunting Derek.”

“So?” Peter avoided her gaze, staring out of the window as she turned the engine on. It was scary sometimes how protective Peter was over his Pack. He might treat them with disdain, but no one else could. 

“No accidents,” she ordered.

“No promises.”

* * *


	2. An Unexpected Meeting

Not even remotely interested in what Talia had to say to Deaton, Peter wandered to the kennels at the back of the surgery. His sister had said she would do it and he trusted her word – which meant Stiles would be in the Pack. Peter couldn’t ask for more protection than that.

He wandered past cages containing a variety of cats, kittens, reptiles and puppies, before finding himself standing in front of a cage containing only one animal. It looked like a huskie – maybe part wolf if that were possible, and instead of growling or hissing at him, it merely watched with interest. 

He flashed his eyes and the animal tilted its head as if trying to decide what he was. 

“Are you going to get that one?” The voice from beside him took Peter by surprise, not least because there were very few people who could sneak up on him.

“I don’t know. We didn’t really come to adopt an animal,” he replied, looking at the boy beside him. They were approximately the same age, and the boy had blue eyes in a soft, sweet-looking face. 

“He likes you.”

“How can you tell?”

“The way he’s looking at you. Sometimes it’s not about you claiming an animal, it’s about them claiming you,” the boy continued, his voice calm and knowledgeable. “Everyone else that I’ve seen go by, he’s completely ignored but with you – just look at him.” Peter turned back to the dog, noting that it had moved closer to the front of the cage and was watching him. 

“What about you?”

“I’m not allowed to get one – that’s why Deaton lets me visit,” he replied, looking sad.

“That’s bullshit. Why can’t you get a dog?”

“My Dad says I shouldn’t get attached to animals – that they serve a purpose and are not pets.”

“Your dad’s an asshole,” Peter said, unreasonably angered by the thought of the boy being denied something he obviously wanted. “How about I get the dog and we share it?”

“Really?”

“Yeah – I think I can talk my sister into it, and then you can visit whenever you want.” 

“That would be kinda cool,” the boy said, his voice betraying his excitement. “I like your shirt.” Peter looked down at his tee-shirt, noticing that he had worn one of his favourites: black, with three wolves howling at the moon. Talia had had it made for him, the Hale emblem discreetly visible in the moon.

“Thanks.” 

“What’s your name?”

“Peter. You?”

“Christopher. But everyone calls me Chris.”

“Not me. I’m going to call you Christopher.” The boy – Christopher – smiled and nodded his acceptance. 

“Chris! Where are you? We have to go!” The voice was harsh, the tone impatient and Peter saw the way that Christopher stiffened when he heard it. He resolved to find out who it was and why they thought it was okay to talk to his – to _Christopher_ – like that. 

“I better go – that’s my Dad. He came to get some plants from Deaton but I think Deaton refused to sell them to him,” Christopher said, looking furtively over his shoulder. “What are we going to call him?”

Peter thought for a moment, then gave a smile. “Fenrir. We’re going to call him Fenrir.” Christopher repeated the name, seeming to be tasting how it sounded before he nodded.

“That’s a good name.”

“CHRIS!” Christopher jumped and Peter reached out to take his hand, offering his reassurance. There was a jolt between them when their hands touched, strong enough to make both of them flinch but not let go. 

“I’ll see you soon, Peter.”

“Okay – Christopher.” Reluctantly, Peter let go of Christopher’s hand and watched as he rushed out to the front of the surgery, looking over his shoulder several times before he disappeared. Peter stood for a few minutes, feeling his senses settle before turning back to the dog – Fenrir. “I guess we better go tell Tal that we’re taking you home.” He unlatched the cage, pleased when Fenrir simply walked out and sat by his side, waiting patiently as Peter relocked it. Together, they walked out to the back of the surgery where Talia was waiting for Deaton.

* * *

”I can’t believe I let you talk me into getting a dog,” Talia complained as she parked in the hospital car park. Peter was in the back of the car, keeping an eye on the giant dog sat beside him.

“He’ll be good protection for Stiles when I can’t be around,” Peter stated, undoing his seatbelt and preparing to exit the car.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“With you – obviously,” he retorted.

“I don’t think so, mister. You can stay here and look after that behemoth,” she gestured to the dog who appeared to be watching their conversation with interest.

“Talia – “

“Peter – “

“You’re not biting him without me there,” Peter stated as if it were an irrefutable fact.

“Oh really? Who died and made you alpha?!” she replied, dismayed to find she had fallen back into the rhythm of fighting that they used to do before their parents died. The difference in their ages meant that they hadn’t spent a huge amount of time together – that, and the fact that she had married young and had four children in rapid succession meant that she had been forced to leave Peter to their father’s less than tender mercies far too often. But still – the banter, the arguing – that was a good memory.

“No one. But I **am** the Left Hand of the Pack and as such I should be there when you introduce a new member. They need to recognise my authority over them, just as much as they should respect the alpha,” Peter intoned as if he was reading from a manual. Or perhaps one of the tomes of text that her father had said she didn’t need to read but that Peter had devoured once they were handed to him. 

“How can you be the Left Hand at eleven, Peter? Maybe when you’re older – “

“NO! I **am** the Left Hand of the Hale Pack, as is my birthright. And I will protect our Pack, and my Alpha, with my life!” His eyes were blazing amber and he didn’t look like her little brother any more. He looked like a young werewolf coming into his power and it called to her own. Without thought, her eyes flashed red and she accepted his vow. 

“Very well. But the mutt stays in the car. And if he shits – “

“His name is Fenrir, and he won’t shit – will you, boy? You’ll see.” They made their way into the hospital through the laundry entrance, working their way up to the ICU where Miecyslaw was being kept. 

“Peter – if this doesn’t take – “

“It will.”

“But if it doesn’t – “

“Talia – I am telling you, this will take. Stiles was meant to be a werewolf and he was meant to be in the Hale Pack. You need to trust me, okay?” Peter’s voice was intense, his grip on her hand tight and she found herself nodding. Sometimes she thought he would have made a better alpha than herself, but that wasn’t the way things had happened. 

“Just – you keep him quiet and I’ll do the bite. We’ll keep an eye on him, just to make sure everything goes okay. Alright?”

“I know the plan – I _made_ the plan, remember?” Peter snarked.

“Alright, smart-ass.” Whether it was luck or the Mother Moon on their side, they didn’t meet any nurses as they made their way to the ICU. Even the police guard that was meant to be at the door was absent, and Talia gave a small prayer of thanks as they entered Stiles’ room. 

The medicinal smell was overwhelming, the sounds of the machine loud in the quiet of the room. Peter immediately walked over to Stiles, taking his hand and pressing it to his cheek in greeting. Talia walked over slower, watching her little brother as he checked Stiles’ pillows and bedding were neat and tidy. Peter peeled back the sheets and lifted the gown to bare Stiles’ side. The boy was so still, so slight, that Talia almost changed her mind, but she had done everything she could to prepare for this. Deaton had reassured her that if her intentions were good that she would make a good alpha – that there truly was no one in town who could take the little boy. He had also promised to look into Peter’s sudden attachment and report his findings back to her but had advised her to trust her brother’s instincts. 

She took a seat next to the bed, shuffling closer so that she could lean over. The boy smelt overwhelmingly of medicine and the lingering scent of death – whether from his parents, or his poor condition. Talia was under no illusions – the bite could kill just as it could give access to a new life. 

“Trust me, Tal,” Peter said, his face solemn as he looked down at her from his position on the bed. He had climbed onto the bed whilst she had been thinking and was now lying next to Miecyslaw, cuddling him close around the tangle of wires from the machines. With a nod, she allowed her face to transform until her fangs had dropped completely. She leaned forward and bit deeply into the boy’s side, aware of Peter muffling the cry of pain that came from higher up in the bed. As she removed her fangs, the machines began to go crazy, beeping loud and fast until an alarm began to sound.

Quick as thought, she dragged Peter from the bed and hauled him into the bathroom, just in time for three members of nursing staff to rush into the room.

* * *


	3. Don't it make my brown eyes....

”He’s crashing!” Melissa grabbed the cart, making room for the doctor that rushed into Miecyslaw’s room. She watched as the hospital gown was pulled off his small body, trying not to think of her son being in such a position. Her heart ached, wishing that Rafe would consider taking the little boy on but he was adamant. The hospital bills were covered by the Sheriff’s insurance, so it wasn’t about money. She was pretty sure he was just doing it because he knew how much she wanted to take the boy on – sometimes she wasn’t sure why she was still with her husband. Pushing thoughts of her failing marriage out of her head, she stepped forward to assist the doctor. 

They were charging the paddles in preparation for shocking him when the machines suddenly settled into a normal rhythm from nowhere. The team around the bed looked at each other in shock – they had almost universally prepared themselves to lose the small figure on the bed. Instead, he was rallying stronger than before, his heartbeat steady, his output _very_ good from nowhere. 

“This little guy must have a guardian angel somewhere,” the Doctor said and Melissa sighed her relief and agreement. With the crash team heading out the door, she began to sort out the bed, putting his hospital gown back into place before sorting out the bed. She noticed a small blood-stain on the side of the bed and was momentarily confused. It was nowhere near the site of any of his wounds, but perhaps it had happened during the seizure? Resolving to swap the sheets as soon as she had the chance, she gave his hand a gentle pat and headed out of the door. She suddenly needed to speak to Scott, even if it was just to hear his sleepy voice say good-night.

* * *

The door had barely closed behind the nurse before Peter was rushing out of the bathroom and moving to Stiles’ side, grabbing his hand and pressing his head to his chest.

“Peter – “

“His heart sounds so much better. You should hear this, Talia – it’s strong and steady and almost hypnotic,” her brother said, and she watched as he seemed to zone out listening to Stiles’ heartbeat. 

“Daddy – “ the quiet voice came from the bed, and Talia looked up to see that Stiles was stirring, his hand gripping tightly to Peter’s. 

“I’m here for you, Stiles,” Peter said immediately, lifting his head and pressing his face against Stiles’. 

“Peter – we need to alert the nurses to him being awake. And they need to do some checks on Mie – _Stiles_.”

“What if he changes? Or shows his wolf – “

“He won’t – not this soon. But we’ll stay close by, help to ground him. But Peter – “

“Yes Tal?”

“You can’t be his anchor – understand? Nothing good can come from making a person be you anchor – that was lesson 101 if you recall,” she advised strongly, waiting to see that her brother understood. “We can help guide him, be there for him – but his anchor has to be something that works for _him_.”

“I won’t be selfish with him – I want the best for him,” Peter said solemnly, still holding Stiles’ hand. 

“Come on – we can sneak around and come in officially, then let them know that he’s awake.” Accepting his sister’s directive, Peter walked out with her, taking the back stairs so that they could come up through the official entrance. She walked confidently to the nurses’ station, relieved to see that it was the nurse that recognised Peter. “Hi, Melissa is it?”

“Hello, yes – what are you doing here at this time of night?”

“We just wanted to check in on the young Stilinski boy. We were the ones who found him at the crash site, and my brother Peter here, is a little worried. I know it’s probably way past visiting time and everything, but would it be possible for us just to get an update on how he’s doing?” Talia put on her best charming smile and Melissa seemed to respond, smiling back at her.

“Actually, I was just about to perform some checks on him – I don’t see why you guys shouldn’t be allowed to peek in, reassure yourselves.” She looked sad for a moment. “Did you – I mean – “

“Yes, we found his parents too. It was pretty awful – we were hoping to find out if he has people who can take care of him when he gets out of hospital.”

“Noah and Claudia didn’t have extended family. I’m not sure what’s going to happen to him when he gets out of here but Child Services will have to be involved,” Melissa said, sounding worried and a little sad as she came around from behind the desk and began to lead them down the corridor to Stiles’ room. 

“Really? I only ask because we’ve recently been accepted as Foster Parents – do you think - “

“Oh it would be so lovely if Mischief didn’t end up in a group home – he’s a real handful and I don’t think he would thrive in that kind of environment,” Melissa said, smiling even harder at Talia. “Talia, isn’t it? I was sorry to hear about your parents – the Hales have done a lot for Beacon Hills.”

“Thank you – yes, we believe in taking care of the community. And if you think we might be a good place for – Mischief was it? – to start his recuperation, then I would be more than happy to speak to Child Services,” Talia said, aware of Peter avidly following every word.

“I know we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves, but I really would like to know that he’s taken care of. He’s friends with my son, Scott, and I know he would be devastated if Mischief was taken out of the county,” Melissa had reached Stiles’ room and used the hand sanitiser outside the door before stepping back so that they could do the same.

The smell of it was strong but Peter didn’t complain, following closely behind Melissa as she stepped into the room.

“Mischief! You’re awake!” Melissa rushed over to the bed, reaching down and cupping Stiles’ face. “Boy, you had us so worried!”

“Where’s Daddy? And Mommy?” 

“Oh Mischief!”

“What’s happening?” Stiles asked, his voice querulous, and Peter rushed forward, coming to a stop on the far side of the bed. 

“It’s okay, Stiles – we’re going to look after you,” he said.

“Who are you?” 

“My name is Peter – Peter Hale. And we – we found you.”

“What happened?” Talia was fascinated to see that Stiles had turned his entire body towards Peter, obviously trusting him even though he had never met him before.

“There was – an accident. Your Mom and Dad have gone to heaven. But they’re together and watching over you, and you’ll never be alone,” Peter stated in a straight-forward tone and Melissa gave a start at the blunt statement.

“Peter – “ Talia interjected, but then Stiles spoke.

“They’ve gone to heaven? Didn’t they want me to go with them?”

“No. They wanted you to have a long, happy life down here – and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that happens,” Peter said, taking Stiles’ hand in his. “Why do they call you Mischief?”

“Because no one but my Mom calls me by my real name.” Stiles smiled. “And because my Daddy says if there’s mischief to be found, I’m there!”

“Can I call you Stiles?” Stiles seemed to be thinking about it before he nodded his acceptance and Talia caught the slight flash of his eyes. Melissa missed it because she was taking his blood pressure, but then Peter flashed his eyes back and Stiles started.

“Are you okay, Mischief? I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Melissa said.

“No – no that didn’t hurt. I – I think I’m tired,” Stiles replied, looking between Talia and Peter with a confused expression on his face.

“That’s perfectly understandable. I’ll just put down these results in your notes and then you can get some rest. And – Stiles? I know all of this is a little overwhelming and we can talk more tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” Melissa turned and smiled at Talia.

“You guys can say goodnight and then this young man needs to get some sleep,” she said and Talia murmured her understanding. As Melissa closed the door, she saw that Peter was murmuring to Stiles and she could vaguely hear the mantra the family used for new wolves. Stiles seemed almost hypnotised, his gaze steady on Peter, his hand clasped tightly.

“Stiles?” she said and the boy turned to her, his eyes hooded with tiredness. “We’ll be back tomorrow. And we’ll explain everything.”

“Like why Peter’s eyes did that?”

“Yes. And why we need to keep it a secret,” she said firmly.

“Because sometimes people don’t understand when others are different and can be mean,” Stiles said, his voice getting drowsier and drowsier. 

“That’s absolutely right,” she replied, patting his hand gently. She flashed her red eyes to see how he would respond and he gave a crooked grin before concentrating with difficulty. As he flashed his eyes at her, she was shocked to see that they were blue.

* * *


	4. My Baby's got Blue Eyes

”You might as well ask,” Peter said, climbing into the back of the car with Fenrir. Talia had been quiet since that moment in Stiles’ room when she had seen his eyes. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, buckling herself in and starting the engine without checking that he was belted in. It was so easy to tell when his sister was rattled.

“About his eyes,” he said, giving her a moment to gather her equilibrium as she drove them out of the hospital car park.

“What about his eyes?”

“Talia – please attempt to treat me with a little respect. I may be eleven, but that doesn’t mean you need to speak to me like I’m a child,” he stated clearly, insulted by her pitiful attempt to distract him.

“Peter, I don’t know if this has occurred to you, but at the age of eleven, you **are** a child!”

“Father said that the Left Hand of the Pack is never truly a child,” he said, remembering hearing those words from his parent on many occasions.

“Father said a lot of things that we both know are bullshit,” she spat out, heading out of town and towards the Preserve. “You’re allowed to be a kid, Peter. Don’t be in a rush to take over as Left Hand. Besides, who says I’m going to _allow_ you to be my Left Hand? Maybe I have someone else in mind?!”

“Fat chance,” he laughed. “You know I’d kill them and take their place. Just – save some lives and accept that I’m the Left Hand.”

“Sometimes you scare me, little brother.”

“Good.” Stroking Fenrir’s fur, he returned to the original subject. “Do you want to know why they’re blue?”

“I don’t know. I mean – he’s what, four, five? How the hell does a five year old get blue eyes upon turning?”

“I could tell you – if you _really_ wanted to know,” he said, deliberately avoiding Talia’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

“And why would you know? It’s not like you had anything to do with the Stilinskis before this?” He could feel her staring at him in the mirror but refused to meet her gaze. “Fine – what do you want?”

“I want to invite someone for a sleepover. In the pool house.”

“What? You’re eleven years old – what do you need the privacy of the pool house for? And who?”

“His name is Christopher. And I want it to be the pool-house because our family has no concept of not showing off their wolf side when they’re at home.” He finally met the look he could feel blazing a hole into his face. “And privacy just because. Deal?”

“ **If** I believe what you come out with, then yes we can arrange for this Christopher to come over for a sleepover and you may use the pool house. But I have to meet him – give him a once-over.”

“Those are acceptable terms,” he agreed readily. “But no scaring him off.”

“So – give. And before we get home – once I get back, the monsters will be climbing all over me and I won’t have a moments peace.” She had turned onto the track that led through the Preserve to the Hale Manse – one that few people knew about. “And don’t try to string things out – I mean it, Peter.”

“Fine. Father was one of those old-fashioned wolves who believed that our eyes turned blue once we had committed murder – something he insisted upon during our teachings.”

“Well – yeah.”

“Okay, well, how many of the wolves that we’ve met over the years have had blue eyes?” he asked.

“Not that many, but that just means – “

“And how many wolves do you know that haven’t in one way, shape or form committed murder during the course of their lives?”

“What?” He could tell he had her full attention.

“The wolves who met with father and mother were generally quite old, and during their time they must have had to despatch intruders on their territory. Yes?”

“Maybe – “

“Okay, I’ll bring it a little closer to home. You and I both know that father killed at least three people that we know of – most likely more because he was always of the opinion that his physical strength showed his power”. Peter sneered at the concept. “Rather than attempting to show some mental acuity.”

“Why must you use such big words? Just get on with it – we’re coming up on the driveway now and if you don’t share your great theory before we get to the house, all deals are off.” Talia had slowed the car down, obviously determined to get the answer out of him before they reached the house.

“Fine. Father killed people – we know he did. How come his eyes weren’t blue?”

“Because – well – because his kills were justified?” Talia’s voice held a questioning tone as well at surprise at what must have seemed like a change of subject, and Peter knew that he had her. “I mean, he at least thought they were justified – there were a couple of times when he had to go to tribunals because since going through their papers I’ve found – wait, so what are you saying?”

“I’m simply saying that the act of murder is not why a wolf’s eyes go blue. The feeling of guilt at such an act – of being involved in such action – _that_ is why a wolf’s eyes turn blue.” Peter had subscribed to this theory for some time and seeing Stiles’ eyes flash blue had merely confirmed it for him. “Stiles’ eyes are blue because he unconsciously feels guilty about his parents’ death, that he played some part in it.”

Silence from the front of the car and he waited for Talia’s response. It was important – very important. Because he wouldn’t have **anyone** make Stiles feel bad about the colour of his eyes when he changed, and to make sure of that, he needed his alpha to believe his viewpoint. Not the outdated one that his father ascribed to. It was time for the Hale Pack to begin looking forward rather than back at the teachings of a man who hadn’t even been alpha – had simply married one. His father had been a rigid, old-fashioned bigot with no appreciation for the bigger picture, and Peter was determined that under Talia’s reign as Alpha – and with him as Left Hand – the Hales were going to be far more progressive. 

They were pulling up around the side of the Manse, and Peter could see the three fully shifted forms of his nieces and nephew running around, obviously excited that their mother and uncle had returned home. It was good that they were in wolf form – it would make it easier to introduce Fenrir to them, although he was surprised that Riordan had let them out without him. He looked up and saw that his brother in law was sat on the porch enjoying a beer whilst watching over his children and Peter relaxed. The pups needed to be protected – they were the future after all. 

As Talia brought the car to a halt, she turned to him and looked him in the eye.

“You’ve put a lot of thought into that, haven’t you?”

“I have, yes.”

“Were you worrying about if your eyes turned blue? Peter, I was serious about the Left Hand thing – “

“I simply felt that father’s interpretation was too simplistic, so I looked into a little more. And I don’t want anyone making anything of Stiles’ eyes when he comes home to the Pack – he feels badly enough without anyone making any comments,” he said fiercely. He didn’t care what they thought of him, but he wouldn’t have anyone making Stiles feel like he didn’t belong or was _wrong_ in some way. 

“You seem to know a lot about him – considering we hadn’t met them before this whole thing started,” Talia continued. “Is there anything you want to tell me?”

Peter considered his options and finally decided to give his sister a little information.

“I met Mrs Stilinski once – it was nearly six years ago in the grocery store. She was pregnant at the time and I remember being completely captivated by the sound of the racing heartbeat inside her. Mother had to drag me out of there in the end because I was perfectly happy to just trail after Claudia, listening to that hypnotic sound.” He looked up at his sister. “Make of that what you will. Now – do we have a deal?”

“Yes, Peter, we have a deal.” She held out her hand and they shook on it before Peter began undoing his seatbelt and getting ready to leave the car. “You need to get me contact information for this Christopher – who up until now you haven’t mentioned even _once_ – and I’ll make sure the pool house is empty and you get your privacy. Peter – where did you meet – ”

“There’s no need for contact information – Christopher and I will make the arrangements ourselves and I will let you know.” Ignoring his sister’s gasp at his cheeky evasion, he shoved open the door and climbed out of the car, Fenrir following closely behind him. Talia didn’t get a chance to ask him any more about Christopher as she was too busy getting her children to leave Fenrir alone and explain to Riordan how they came to have a new dog, let alone the conversation Peter knew she would have to have with her husband about their new pack member. 

Nevertheless, Peter made himself scarce until hospital visiting hours the next day.

* * *


	5. Before the full moon....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles isn't having the best time in hospital but Peter is there for him...
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've added some warnings in the tags but if you think I need to add others, please let me know.

“I’m not eating that and you can’t make me!” The shouting was loud enough to be heard from the corridor and Peter and Talia shared a look before hurrying to Stiles’ room. Things had settled down into a routine as Stiles’ _recovered_ from his injuries. The doctors were amazed by his progress as they had expected it to be a much longer journey, but in less than a week, he was on the verge of being sent home.

Fortunately, there hadn’t been a full moon in the time he had been in the hospital but one was due, and as a consequence, he was getting more and more aggressive, especially with one particular nurse. For some reason, he and Brunski did _not_ get on, with Stiles being combative and uncooperative whenever the nurse was the one taking his temperature, blood pressure, etc. So far they hadn’t caught Brunski doing anything inappropriate or antagonising, but Peter was becoming more and more unhappy with the man.

“You little shit! All this special treatment just cos you were the Sheriff’s kid and now the rich bastard Hales are taking you in as a charity case – sit your ass down and eat what I give you!” Brunski’s voice was cruel and Talia slapped a hand rapidly onto Peter’s shoulder to stop him going in and attacking the nurse.

“I’m not a charity case! I’m going to be part of their pa – _family_ – and nothing you say can take that away from me! You’re ugly and horrible and you smell bad!” Stiles retaliated, but the hurt was clear in his voice. Talia was impressed at the control he was showing – at his age, one of her kids might well have shifted by now. But to date, Stiles hadn’t shown any outward signs of his wolf apart from his blue eyes. It was something to worry about later – for now, they needed to get Brunski away from him. 

“I will shove this spoon so far down your throat – “ That was too much for Peter to bear, as he wriggled free from Talia’s grip and burst into the room.

“Oh do go on, I would love to hear the rest of this!” Peter said.

“Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you can ignore visiting hours. Mr Stilinski is due his lunch and then his bed bath so you can wait outside,” the nurse said. 

“No.”

“What?”

“I said no. I will feed Stiles and if need be I will give him a bed bath, or help him to the bathroom. You will not be touching him again.” Talia remained by the door, ready to step in if necessary. “And I’m pretty sure the hospital will be most interested in your attitude to your patients as I sincerely doubt Stiles is the only one you have been abusing.”

“Who’s gonna believe a snot nosed brat like you? What are you – twelve, thirteen? Shit, all I have to say is that you’ve got an inappropriate crush on me and it’ll be swept under the rug! Or better yet, that I saw you fiddling with this poor little boy here – that’ll take care of you!” Talia heard Peter growl beneath his breath and prepared to enter the room. “It won’t be the first time and it won’t be the last. Now get the fuck out so I can take care of my patient before I call hospital security and get your ass thrown out!”

“Nurse Brunski – I sincerely suggest that you move away from Stiles and leave this room,” Peter said, his voice calm but menacing. Talia could tell that Brunski had moved closer to her brother by how much clearer their voices were to her.

“Or what? What you gonna do about it? Touched a nerve did I? Is that why your family is taking in the little shit? You like to play with little boys – is that it?”

“I won’t warn you again.”

“Are you threatening me? What the fuck is going on with – “

“I’ve been recording this entire conversation. Rest assured, I _will_ be playing it to my sister when she arrives and forwarding it to the Hospital Administration.” Peter’s voice was silky smooth and smug, a tone she knew well was incredibly aggravating. If Talia didn’t know better, she would think he was _trying_ to get Brunski to attack him. “Now – do you want to maintain a little dignity and walk out of here or should I call hospital security and have you escorted out?”

“You little fucker!” Talia shoved the door open and stalked in, seeing in an instant that Stiles was sat up in bed, wide-eyed and fascinated as Peter faced Brunski. The nurse was standing menacingly over the teenage boy, his hand raised as if to strike him. Peter’s eyes were glowing amber, but apart from that, he hadn’t changed his appearance at all, something that was taking an incredible amount of control.

“What the hell is going on in here?”

“Ah, Talia – I’m so happy to see you! Nurse Brunski was just leaving – weren’t you?” Peter said, stepping back from the nurse and moving to his sister’s side. “I have something I need you to listen to as well.”

“And I can tell you loads!” Stiles spoke up from the bed. Brunski looked at the three of them with disgust before shoving the table with the bed-bath supplies away from the bed and stomping towards the door. 

“Fuck it! I don’t need this job! Eichen House is hiring and they pay a hell of a lot more! Fuck the lot of you!” he shouted as he moved into the corridor. Peter stepped to the doorway, and Talia heard him growl at Brunski, his claws growing from his hands. 

“Don’t come back – or else!” he said, and Brunski had the self-preservation to look scared and high-tail it down the corridor. Peter slammed the door and hurried to Stiles’ side. 

“Wow, Peter, you TOLD him! That was awesome!” Stiles said, reaching out for Peter’s hand. He took no notice of the claws whatsoever. Up until now, they had talked to him a little about who and what they were, but they hadn’t changed in front of him to give him time to adjust. It would appear that he didn’t need _that_ much time. 

“How long has he been being a dick to you? You should have said something – I’ve told you, Pack looks after Pack and I wouldn’t have let him hurt you!” Peter scolded Stiles even as he tucked him back into the bed, and turned to look at the tray of food. “Is that what they’ve been feeding you?”

“Yeah and it’s yucky! I want a burger, Peter and a toy,” Stiles said. 

“Then that’s what you’ll have, sweetheart!” The endearment sounded strange coming from her brother but she was coming to expect the unexpected from Peter when it came to Stiles. 

“Peter – maybe he isn’t ready for solid food?”

“The full moon is coming – he’ll need to build up his strength!” Peter retorted.

“Speaking of the full moon – Stiles, how would you feel about getting out of here and being settled at our place before the weekend?”

“Really? Will Mommy and Daddy be there?” Talia gave a sad smile as she shook her head. Perhaps because of his age, Stiles didn’t seem to fully grasp that his parents had gone to heaven and weren’t ever coming back – occasionally asking about them before Peter distracted him with stories or games. She knew that Melissa had tried on numerous occasions to explain it to the little boy, but he persisted in saying that his parents wouldn’t have left him for good because they loved him too much. “Am I what he said – a charity case? What’s a charity case Peter?”

“A charity case is when someone does something for someone else out of pity for their situation. And no, Stiles, you are far from being a charity case. I’ve told you – you’re part of the Pack, which means we’re part of your family from now until forever,” Peter replied calmly.

“I told him that – I **said** I was family!”

“And you were right. So, how about we ask the doctors if we can get you some real food and then we see how much mess we can make in the bathroom before Talia makes us behave?” Peter said, his voice taking on the tone that Talia only ever heard when he was talking to Stiles. 

“YEAH!” Stiles shouted, bouncing up and down in the bed. These two were going to be the death of her, she just knew it.

* * *


	6. Time Jump 1 - Stiles is 11

Peter made sure that Stiles could hear him coming, not trying to hide his approach. Fenrir turned his great shaggy head and observed him for a few moments before deciding that he wasn’t a danger and returning to sitting on Stiles’ feet.

“I thought I’d find you here. The rest of the Pack are up at the house – I think Talia is about to start cooking,” he said, sliding gracefully into a seated position next to Stiles. He didn’t need to scent the air to know that the boy had been crying: his posture spoke of deep disappointment, sadness and also a little rage. The rage he could work with.

“I’m not hungry.” Stiles’ was muffled by his position with his face shoved into his arms, not even glancing in Peter’s direction. 

“You gotta eat, Stiles.”

“What’s the point? It’s not like I expended a lot of energy last night – unlike everyone else,” the boy spat out bitterly. 

“Stiles – “

“Why? Why can’t I change like everyone else?” He yanked up a clump of grass, destroying it between his fingers as he continued speaking. “Even David can go full wolf and he’s younger than me. I can’t even get claws or fangs to appear! What kind of fail-wolf am I that I can’t do anything but flash my eyes?” 

“Stiles – we’ve talked about this. We’ve been talking about this ever since you came home from the hospital. You were changed under traumatic circumstances – you were so young when you got the bite – “

“I don’t care about that shit and I certainly don’t believe it! Don’t patronise me by trying to say you do either!” Stiles shouted, finally meeting Peter’s eyes. His were blazing blue, the rage inside clear. “It’s been six years Peter – six years of watching everyone else grow and change – Derek’s almost as big as Laura when he’s changed to a wolf! And me? Even after all of this time – all the stuff I do with Deaton – nothing! Why don’t I fit Peter?”

“Stiles – “

“Is it – is it because of what I did to my parents?” Stiles' voice lowered until Peter could barely hear him despite superior hearing. “Maybe it’s a punishment – “

“You stop that right now!” Peter shouted, yanking Stiles sideways by his shoulders so that he could hold him in a tight embrace. “You didn’t do anything to your parents – you **know** this! It was an accident – a terrible, awful accident – and it wasn’t your fault! If anyone was at fault, it was the Curtis wolf who scared your father into driving off the road – nothing you did that day is your fault, Stiles!” The boy was sobbing on his chest, his shoulders shaking as he let it all out. 

Peter wished there was more that he could do, but they had tried everything. Deaton had visited various shaman at Peter’s request once it became obvious that Stiles was not going to transform – not even into his beta shift. He had many wolf attributes: he healed faster than any human, could run faster, hear better, see further – but no fangs ever sprouted, no claws sprang from his fingertips on the full moon or any other time. It broke his heart every time it happened and Peter had become accustomed to finding him the morning after the full moon, hiding out in this copse in the middle of the Preserve, most likely with Fenrir keeping him company.

“Were the others mean to you?” he asked in a dark voice, more than prepared to have another ‘talk’ to Derek and Laura if they were teasing Stiles. They didn’t mean it maliciously – from the time Stiles had been brought home from the hospital, they had accepted him as a member of the family. Whether he transformed or not, Stiles was Pack. Sometimes the influence of school-friends meant that their teasing could take a bit of a sharper edge which was when Peter would step in. no one was allowed to hurt Stiles – whether it was accidental or not. Derek had a particularly sharp-tongued friend called Jackson who had gotten annoyed at Stiles ‘hanging around’. 

Peter had taken the little shit aside and explained to him in great detail how few pieces of him would be found if he ever upset Stiles again. Jackson had tried to front like he wasn’t scared, but ever since then, he had held his viperish tongue. He was turning into a halfway decent human being, especially with the influence of Boyd, Derek’s other best friend.

Laura – it was difficult. She had the potential to be the next Hale heir, which occasionally caused her to take on a few airs and graces. Her friends at school – Lydia and Malia – were nice enough, but the three of them could be bitches on occasion and didn’t seem to notice when their barbs struck a little too close to home. 

Stiles was still friends with the nurse Melissa’s son, Scott, but he wasn’t the most reliable of friends due to ill health. It didn’t help that Rafe McCall was still around, was well on his way to becoming an alcoholic, and had a mean tongue on him. Talia had expressly forbidden Peter from going after the man after he had shouted at Stiles and Scott for playing too loudly the last time Stiles had been round at the McCall’s house, but he had plans to sort the man out – quietly. 

“I have a question for you.” Stiles snuffled, then finally lifted his head, accepting the handkerchief Peter handed to him with no comment. “Do you think that you’re weaker than the other members of the Pack?”

“NO!” Stiles shouted, looking offended.

“Are you holding us back when we go for runs?”

“Of course not! I’m faster than David and Cora – I can keep up with Derek and Laura most of the time!” the boy responded hotly.

“And when it comes to hide and seek – apart from me, is there _anyone_ in the Pack who can hide from you? Or ever find you?” Stiles smirked, well aware of the frustration the other pack members felt when they played that game on full moon nights. For some reason, Stiles was the only one other than Peter who was never found when he was hiding – there was something about his scent that made him blend into the atmosphere and made it almost impossible to find him. Peter could always find him – no matter how well he hid – and Stiles could always find Peter, although he could never explain how he always knew where Peter was – but the others had resigned themselves to losing to Stiles in those events.

“I know what you’re trying to do,” Stiles said, blowing his nose obnoxiously loudly and smiling at Peter and revealing a couple of gaps where his baby teeth had finally come out. 

“What am I trying to do?”

“Remind me that I have value even as a human – or almost human.”

“You always have value to me, Stiles.” 

“Yeah, well – you just like that there’s someone who can keep up with you when you go off on your bullshit rants!” Stiles said, brightening up. Fenrir seemed to sense that his master was feeling better because he ran off in the direction of the Manse, happy to leave Stiles under Peter’s protection.

“Keep up is an exaggeration, although I guess you’re not _too_ far behind me,” Peter replied, laughing as Stiles shoved him over and landed on top of him. The boy was the same age now as Peter had been when they first met, and there were times when he reminded Peter so much of himself it was scary. When he was fighting for the pack – whether it be at school or play-fighting – he was quite cold and lethal in his attacks, prepared to go to lengths that the others weren’t to ensure that his people were kept safe. 

There was really only one thing he and Stiles didn’t agree on, and he sighed, knowing what was coming. 

“You’re going out with **him** tonight, aren’t you?” Stiles asked, staring down into Peter’s eyes.

“Stiles – “

“That’s a yes then,” he said, pushing himself off of Peter and folding his arms over his chest.

“He’s a friend.”

“He’s a hunter, a danger and – he’s ugly!” Stiles said, almost pouting.

“Christopher is different, which you well know but refuse to accept.”

“His sister is a douche – she always seems to be on the verge of bad-touch.”

“What do you mean?” Peter was wary of Kate – there was something not quite right with her that he couldn’t put his finger on, or gain evidence of. Nevertheless, he was wary.

“Why do you care? You’re off with Christopher!” Stiles said.

“Come on, Stiles – this is about Pack safety. Don’t fuck about!”

“Fine! She never does it around you but – she gives me the slimes. She’s always standing too close to Derek, going on about how he’s growing up to be such a big boy – stuff like that. She just – it doesn’t feel right,” Stiles finally said, looking at Peter. “I know it doesn’t seem like much but – “

“No – I’m glad you told me. I’ll try to keep an eye on her, but if she’s making sure to do it when I’m not around, I’m going to need you to be my eyes and ears. Can you do that – for me and the Pack?” 

“Of course I can. I was anyway. I just haven’t said anything because I thought you might think I was just a kid and didn’t know any better!” Stiles admitted.

“You might be a kid but I would never say you didn’t know any better, Stiles. I trust you and I trust your judgement. Okay?” Peter waited until Stiles nodded his acknowledgement before getting to his feet. “I gotta head out. You gonna go back to the house and eat now?”

Stiles followed his example and got to his feet, dusting off the seat of his jeans. He’d gone through another growth spurt and they were around his ankles – he was almost as tall as Peter.

“Yeah, I’ll go eat. You go have a nice time with _Christopher_ ,” Stiles said, still with a sneer in his voice but not quite as pronounced. 

“Stiles – “

“Just – do me a favour? Before you come home, take a shower will you? The smell of the two of you together – “

“HEY!” 

“No, I didn’t mean that. It’s just – there’s something missing and it makes me – itchy. I can’t explain it properly, but there’s just something wrong with the scent of the two of you. It’s incomplete and it messes with my senses. So – yeah. Just – shower, okay?”

“Fine – I will make sure to shower his offensive smell off me before I come home. Although those aren’t the plans for tonight,” Peter said, not quite sure what Stiles was referring to. He wasn’t wrong. Everything about Christopher appealed to Peter: his looks, his scent, his personality – but there was something undeniably missing. Even Christopher felt it. 

“What are you up to then?” Stiles said, leaning into Peter’s side when he threw his arm over his shoulders and they began to walk back to the house. 

“I can’t tell you. Think of it as Left Hand business.”

“Does Talia know?” Stiles asked and Peter cursed how well the boy knew him.

“No, not exactly. But it’s for the good of the Pack and sometimes that means the Left Hand has to do things that the Alpha doesn’t know about,” he excused himself. It was the truth: the Left Hand was responsible for the things that the Alpha couldn’t be seen to be meddling in, including sorting out certain issues in the territory. And tonight, Peter was going to remove one of those issues once and for all.

“You always use that excuse when you’re up to shady shit,” Stiles replied, grinning when Peter gave him a fake look of shock.

“What language coming from such a nice boy! Be careful or I’ll have to tell your alpha on you!”

“You do and you won’t get out of here to do whatever mischief you and Christopher have got planned!” Stiles promised, elbowing Peter in the side and taking off at a sprint. Taken by surprise, Peter stumbled, righting himself and beginning to chase Stiles but knowing that he’d be hard-pressed catch him – not with the lead he’d managed to gain for himself. 

That was fine by him – Stiles wasn’t upset any longer so Peter had achieved his aim. And after tonight, there would be one less thing in Beacon Hills that could potentially hurt him. He put on a spurt of speed, pushing himself until he was close enough for Stiles to notice him and slow down slightly until the two of them were running side by side back to the house.

* * *


	7. Dealing with an Issue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for canon levels of violence and someone being a bit of a dick.
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be no underage activity between Stiles, Peter and Chris but please note that I am in the UK - the age of consent here is **sixteen**.

Peter peeled another hundred dollar bill off the roll in his hand and gave it to the girl in front of him, watching as the wary look in the girl’s eyes began to fade.

“We’re not asking you to do anything that you don’t already do – in fact, you’ll probably have to do much less”, he said softly. “Just leave the door on the latch and get on with business as usual. When we arrive, you leave – that’s all you have to do.”

“And you’re not gonna, like, kill him or anything, right? I don’t want to be involved in something like that,” she said, licking her lips.

“No murder is intended for this evening. You will not be linked to anything, I swear,” Peter replied.

“Of course, if you’d prefer we ask one of your colleagues and offer them the recompense – “ Christopher said, dangling the loss of easy money in front of her.

“NO! No, that’s cool. As long as I don’t get caught up in something majorly illegal, it’s fine,” she said hastily.

“Excellent. We’ll see you in an hour or so,” Peter said, smiling gently at her. It always made him laugh internally when people assumed Christopher was the one to be scared of. But Christopher was so good at standing menacingly behind Peter, giving intimidating looks over his shoulder. It worked well for them. 

As the girl scurried away, Peter turned into Christopher’s arms, pressing a kiss to the sharp line of his jaw. The soft-looking, sweet boy he had met six years ago had grown into a tall, imposing-looking young man. He still had some growing to do – Peter could well imagine what a silver fox Christopher would be when he was older – but in the meantime, he did enjoy his ‘enforcer’.

“Must you scare them so thoroughly?” he asked.

“Must you give them so much money? I worry that they will think they can rob you – “

“You act as if I don’t have weapons at my disposal,” Peter replied, laughing.

“Don’t be so casual about your safety – please,” Christopher said, allowing his stance to relax a little so that he was loose in Peter’s embrace. 

“Your father is still pushing you to train with another family, isn’t he?”

“He is. I’ve told him I would prefer to remain in Beacon Hills, but he’s insistent that I need distance.” Christopher bit his lip, thinking. “I wonder if Kate has said something – seen something.”

“We do need to speak about your sister. But Christopher – if he sends you away, I am often travelling on Pack business – it wouldn’t mean the end if that is your concern,” Peter tried to reassure him. 

“It’s not – not really. I just worry about you – and your Pack,” Christopher replied. “How was Stiles this evening?” Christopher knew that Stiles took his inability to shift into a wolf badly and always asked after him. It was yet another reason why Peter loved him – Christopher never questioned Peter’s devotion to Stiles, despite the young boy being genuinely objectionable whenever he was around Christopher. If Peter didn’t know better, he would have assumed that Stiles was jealous but they didn’t have that kind of relationship. It was a puzzle he thought of often and as yet, hadn’t found the solution for.

“He was fine when I left him,” Peter replied, then checked his watch. “We better get into position.” Christopher nodded, suddenly all business as he gathered together the tools they would be using that evening.

* * *

“You sure you’re okay? You seem a little – squirrelly this evening,” Rafe said to Simone as she led him to the hotel room. He checked around him lazily, not expecting to see anything untoward. They had been using this hotel for over seven months with no incidents and he didn’t expect there to be any issues. He took a long drink from the bottle of cheap whisky in his hand, waiting impatiently as she unlocked the door. 

As he walked into the hotel room, he was already shrugging out of his jacket and tossing it on the chair, yanking at his tie. He felt like he was being strangled, the situation made worse by how things had been at home. Scott was once again in the hospital and Melissa had expected him to visit and just sit at the boy’s bedside. Like it made any difference – his son was weak and Rafe hated to see the evidence of it so avoided the hospital as much as possible. 

He knew he was skating on thin ice with Melissa – she had the nerve to turn him down the night before when he had made advances, and he had almost pushed. She was his wife, not just Scott’s mother, and he didn’t think it was asking too much for a little affection. Instead, he had pushed forward his plans to see Simone – at least _she_ understood her place. 

Unbuttoning his pants and shoving his briefs down, he pulled out his limp cock. 

“Come over here and suck me,” he ordered. 

“Don’t you want a little snort first?” she asked, already making clean lines on the table in the room. Annoyed at her questions, he casually backhanded her across the face, sending her falling to the ground. 

“Yeah, fine, but it better be good quality. That shit last time gave me a headache,” he complained as he bent over and pressed his finger on his right nostril and snorted up a line with his left. The buzz hit him instantly, clearing away the cloudiness in his brain as he did the same with the right nostril. The clarity he suddenly felt was amazing: if he could only get his superiors at work to understand what an asset he was, how much more he could do than the dogsbody jobs.

Pinching his nose, he made his way to the bed and sat down. 

“Come on – I don’t have all day,” he said, watching as Simone crawled over to him so that she knelt between his legs. Just as she took his cock in her hand, staring up at him with resentful eyes, the door to the room opened and two young men walked in. “Can’t you see that I’m busy?” 

“Oh, we can definitely see. Please – put that away,” one of them said, gesturing with a contemptuous look towards his groin. 

“Who the fuck do you think – “ Before he could say anything further, the other man had walked swiftly across the room and punched him viciously in the face, knocking him back onto the bed. Simone scurried away from him, getting to her feet and gathering her belongings. “Get back here, you fucking bitch!” he screamed, but she ignored him, moving around the other man and leaving the room, slamming the door behind her as she left. 

“Now, we can have a little chat,” the first man said, walking over and pushing Rafe’s jacket to the ground before taking a seat. 

“I don’t think you realise who I am!” Rafe blustered, watching warily as the taller of the two rubbed his knuckles, a stoic look on his face. He got to his feet, unwilling to be at a disadvantage.

“We know exactly who you are. Rafael McCall, agent with the FBI, general dogsbody and asshole. You treat your wife and son as an inconvenience, regularly use whores and blow, and are basically an embarrassment.” The man in the chair appeared to check his fingernails, before looking at Rafe with piercing blue eyes. “You have come to our attention for many things, Agent McCall, but the way you treat people is the main one. Now – I think Beacon Hills isn’t the place for you. I don’t think you quite – fit shall we say. So, it would be in your best interests if you accepted the upcoming transfer to San Francisco and left.”

“What upcoming – look, you don’t get to tell me what to – oomph!” Rafe gasped as, without warning, the enforcer slapped him harshly across the face, then punched him in the stomach, stealing his breath. 

“I’m talking. You’re listening. And obeying.” Rubbing his cheek, Rafe pushed himself back to a standing position. He was taller than whoever this enforcer was, broader in the chest – he should be able to take him with no problems. His service weapon was in his car, but he was a trained professional. Giving no warning, he attacked, trying to grapple him to the ground. 

He was stunned when the young man twisted easily out of his hold, using Rafe’s body weight and unstable footing to throw him to the ground, pressing his booted foot onto Rafe’s chest. “Tsk tsk, must you show such stupidity? I said I was talking and you were listening – no one said you should show us your truly pitiful attempts. Now – can you hear me?”

Rafe nodded, looking up at the two of them. Despite the fact the taller of the two had his foot on Rafe’s chest, it was the other one he found himself feeling warier of. The casual way he was watching, the fact that he had remained completely in control throughout everything – it was disconcerting.

“Excellent.” He got to his feet and stood looking down at Rafe. “I don’t want you in my town. So you’re going to leave. And never come back. If you think you can agree to my demands now and then betray me, please be aware that I know about the separate bank account that you are using to siphon family funds into; I know about your blow habit and the whores; I know about the short cuts you’ve taken at work. I know everything about you and if you step out of line, return without my permission, even _think_ about trying to find out who I – or my companion – are, then I will destroy you. I will dismantle your life piece by piece until you’ll be lucky to sell your sorry ass on the street to get by. Am I making myself clear?”

Rafe could only blame the blow for his reaction, shoving the boot off of his chest and jumping to his feet, rushing at the shorter man. His head was slamming into the wall, his nose breaking before he realised that the man had moved, the pain whiting out his vision momentarily. When he could see again, he was looking into eyes that were glowing amber, teeth elongating before his eyes whilst the hand at his throat had grown claws. 

“I said, am I making myself clear?”

“What are you?” he whimpered.

“I am your worst nightmare. I am the silent creature in the night who can sneak into wherever you are and shred your body from head to toe; I am monster that will slice off that pitiful worm of a dick you are so proud of and feed it to you; I am the avenging angel that will make you feel every bit of pain and humiliation that you have dished out over the years – I will make you suffer in ways you can barely imagine.” The monstrous face moved so close to his that he could almost feel the bristly hair touching his skin. “I will keep you alive just to make you suffer longer. Now – have I made myself clear or should I begin that suffering now?”

“I get it – I’ll take the transfer!!” Rafe stumbled as the man was suddenly no longer in front of him, straightening his cuffs as he moved towards the door. “I – what about my wife? And son – I can’t just desert them – “

“Oh please! You’d be doing them a favour!” Reaching the door, the man turned back, his eyes still glowing amber in his human face. “You have five days to get out of Beacon Hills. I would suggest you don’t test me.” Rafe nodded quickly and with a genial smile, the man opened the door and walked out of the room. The enforcer followed, turning at the entrance to give Rafe a contemptuous look.

“I would have just killed you, but he likes to know he’s got people he can – call on if needed. Enjoy San Francisco, Agent McCall.” He closed the door gently behind him and Rafe slowly slid down the wall to the floor, unable to believe that his life had been completely wrecked in such a short space of time.

* * *

”God-damn, that was hot!” Peter said, throwing Christopher back onto the bed and climbing on top of him. It was rare that Christopher came to the Den – not because he wasn’t welcome, but because he didn’t want to risk Kate following him. But following their successful trip to deal with Agent McCall, both he and Peter had been too wound up and he hadn’t resisted when Peter asked him to come back to the house. 

He reached down and undid Peter’s pants, shoving at the expensive boxer shorts the other man was wearing even as Peter was doing the same to him. 

“You like the silent enforcer thing, do you?”

“Yes. I love how brutal you can be, and yet so gentle!” Peter said, licking down Christopher’s neck and wrestling at the neckline of his tee-shirt to get to more skin. 

“I’ll never understand why I’m the enforcer when you could bench press me easily!” he said, arching his head backwards to give Peter more room.

“Because I love watching you work – I love your muscles, the strength you show, the silent menace – you are beautiful to watch, my darling!” Peter said, finally giving up at moving the tee-shirt out of his way and simply slicing through the material. There was a noise and they both froze, looking towards the door that was slightly ajar. 

“I thought no one came to your wing of the house,” Christopher said, leaning up on his elbows. 

“They don’t. It must have been one of the pups going downstairs.” Peter got to his feet, yanking his tee-shirt over his head and beginning to slide off his pants. “Now get your clothes off – I want you to fuck me in my bed so that I can feel you for days and smell you on my sheets!” 

That statement was enough to take Christopher’s mind off of anything outside the bedroom, scrambling to take off his clothes before Peter threw himself back on top of him.

* * *

Biting his lip to muffle his groan, Stiles watched through the gap in the doorway as the two young men writhed on the bed together.

* * *


	8. Changes, Surprises and Additions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for homophobic language

“I’m just saying, if you have to get the shit kicked out of you, could you maybe not do it two nights before the next big lacrosse game?” Peter stopped on his way to the kitchen, head cocked as he tried to identify the voice.

“Like I did this on purpose,” came the response and he recognised Stiles’ voice. 

“Just – for fucks sake, Stiles, you _know_ what dicks those guys can be – did you **have** to mouth off at them?” Jackson. That was the second voice he could hear. Leaning against the door sill, he listened to the rest of the conversation.

“I wasn’t gonna let them shit-talk Scott that way – he can’t help his asthma.” Stiles’ voice was petulant and he gave a sound of pain. “And his Dad up and leaving – that wasn’t his fault either! He and Melissa are upset enough without him being picked on at school!”

“Stop being such a baby! You just took a beating that should have laid you out and you’re gonna moan about a little antiseptic?” There was silence apart from the occasional hiss of pain, and Peter realised that Stiles’ must be holding back his healing and allowing Jackson to tend to his wounds. Wounds Peter was going to get to the bottom of, but in the meantime, he wanted to know more about what had happened.

“Thanks Jackson. You didn’t have to step in – I appreciate it.”

“Like I was gonna let them kick your ass when I’m not allowed to?”

“Allowed to?”

“Peter would happily tear me into tiny pieces and scatter me across various continents if I tried,” Jackson said, his voice amused.

“I didn’t think Peter really gave a shit what happened to me,” muttered Stiles, and Jackson gave a heavy sigh. 

“Is this about Chris? Oh don’t look at me like that – I’m nowhere near as unobservant as you guys might think.”

“I saw him – him and Chris together the other night,” Stiles finally said.

“Oh.”

“Yes. Oh. It’s one thing knowing that they’re together – it’s something else entirely to _see_ them together.”

“Stiles – “

“If you say I’ll understand when I’m older, I may just throw up!”

“I wasn’t going to say that. But just because Peter is boning Chris doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about you. It’s just – maybe in a different way.”

“I may be eleven but I’m not stupid. I don’t want Peter to see me like that – well, not yet – but – it still sucks ass watching him with someone else. And – “ Stiles hesitated

“And what?” Jackson encouraged. 

“What sort of person does it make me if I’m jealous of Chris being with Peter?”

“We just – oh, you mean, you’re jealous of Peter being with Chris and vice versa?”

“Yeah – ow! I swear, you’re making this hurt on purpose!”

“Don’t be such a baby! And – there’s nothing wrong with having feelings for lots of different people when you’re younger. Things might go one way or the other when you get older, or you might just end up liking more than one person. You wouldn’t be the first, and somehow it doesn’t surprise me.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that I reckon it would take more than one person to keep you under control, Stilinski!”

“Do you think that’s normal? I’m not a freak faggot – not like those boys said?”

“Those guys couldn’t tell their brains from a turd on the ground so don’t listen to them! And just – safe, sane, consensual are the bywords you need to remember. It’s all good as long as everyone involved knows what’s going on and consents. And don’t let anyone tell you different!”

“How come you’re willing to talk to me about all this stuff? When I tried to talk to Talia, she just said I was young and needed to give myself time to grow up,” Stiles asked curiously.

“Maybe because I learned a lot about myself when I was young – my parents hid the fact that I was adopted from me and I found out by accident. I think kids need to learn at their own pace, and people need to accept that what might be too much for one person isn’t for another. And besides, what do I need to protect you from – apart from maybe a few assholes at school? You’ve got the whole Hale family backing you up!” 

“Yeah, well – thanks.”

“Shut up! And if you tell anyone I babied you, I’ll give you an atomic wedgie it will take you days to get over!” There was the sound of things being put away, then Jackson’s voice moved closer to the door and Peter stepped back a little. “I gotta hit the road – you gonna be alright?”

“Yeah – I’ll be fine. You be careful though – those guys didn’t like you stepping in,” Stiles warned.

“It’s all good – although I might mention it to Derek,” Jackson affirmed, then appeared in the doorway. He flinched slightly upon seeing Peter, then his eyes narrowed as he looked back at Stiles then to Peter again. “Call me if you ever want advice – your life is a soap opera and I’m ready with the popcorn!”

“Jerk!”

“Asshole! Later,” Jackson said, before nodding at Peter and heading for the front door. Giving it a few moments, Peter walked into the kitchen. Stiles was putting the first aid kit away, bruises slowly fading from his face.

“So – what the hell happened to you?”

“Jesus, sometimes I think you need a bell!” Stiles said before he jumped up to sit on the kitchen cabinet, facing Peter. 

“Avoidance won’t work as you well know,” Peter stated, moving to the coffee maker.

“Some older kids at school were picking on Scott. His Dad did a runner – well, maybe not a runner, but he took a posting away from Beacon Hills without talking to Scott or Melissa or anything! He’s moved to San Francisco and just left them behind.”

“That sounds interesting,” Peter said, keeping his eye on the coffee maker.

“And then Scott started having an asthma attack and they were ripping on him, took away his backpack so he couldn’t use his inhaler, that kind of thing. So I jumped in – got his inhaler back.”

“And the bruises?”

“They weren’t quite done being assholes,” Stiles admitted. “Then Jackson came round the corner, and I could hardly beat the crap out of four older kids when he was watching, so I had to let them beat on me a little – Laura hits harder,” Stiles said, drumming his heels against the cabinet. “Then Jackson piled in and threw them off me, and brought me home so I had to hold back on the healing.”

“That was kind of him.”

“Yeah – he kinda keeps an eye on me at school. Says I’m a trouble magnet and he finds me entertaining,” Stiles grinned as he said that. Peter was well aware that Stiles was considered a handful at school – he was inquisitive, intelligent and outspoken, which was a struggle for many people to know how to handle. “Peter – “

Peter stiffened, wondering if Stiles was going to mention that he had been watching Peter and Chris in bed together. He wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it – for God's sake, the boy was eleven! He had no business seeing what he had seen and Peter didn’t have a clue what he could say. 

“Yeah, Stiles?”

“How come Talia hasn’t offered Scott the bite? It could cure his asthma and it would build the Pack. Melissa being in the know would be good too – she could be like a medical liaison type thing and – “ Peter could tell that Stiles was working himself up to a long explanation as to why he thought Scott and Melissa would be assets to the Pack, but he knew he had to cut him off.

“Scott wouldn’t fit in the Pack, Stiles,” he stated firmly.

“What? Why?” 

“Just take my word for it – Talia has considered it and asked me for my opinion. I don’t think Scott would thrive in a Pack environment,” he said carefully.

“Why the hell not? He wouldn’t have asthma any more, he’d be able to play lacrosse and be here at weekends – “

“Because you’re listing all of the things **he** would gain from becoming a wolf, but what about what the Pack would gain from having him?”

“What?”

“Name one thing, other than an extra beta, that the pack would gain from having Scott as a member? And remember that we have Rourke for medical attention as well as Deaton, so his mother being a medical professional makes no real difference.”

“You just don’t want me to have a friend of my own – you want me to be all on my own while Derek has Jackson and Boyd, and Laura and Cora are always together, and even David has friends from his school!” Stiles shouted belligerently, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Peter.

“Stiles!”

“And in the meantime, you spend all your time with Chris doing disgusting things that make you a freak faggot!”

“STILES!” The thunderous tone finally penetrated Stiles’ anger and he stopped speaking, hand to his mouth in shock. “You know as well as I do that what you have just said is completely unacceptable, but we’re going to ignore it for the moment as words spoken in anger. As for you not having someone – it’s not about keeping you in isolation.” Peter walked over to Stiles who had tears in his eyes and smelled strongly of regret and shame. “We have to be careful who has access to the Den because it’s our home – it’s where we can relax and be who we want to be. That’s why Derek doesn’t have Jackson and Boyd over very often – and none of the other pack members does either.”

“Why don’t you spend any time with me any more? You’re always off with Christopher doing – doing – “

“I regret whatever it was you saw, but I think you’re old enough to know and understand that Christopher and I have an adult relationship.” He ignored the rude snort Stiles gave and continued speaking. “I’m sorry if you feel – left out – but Stiles – “

“Forget it! I get it – everyone gets to have friends but me because I’m defective or something!” 

“NO! That’s not what I’m saying! Just – you’re too young to be – “

“PETER! I need you – there’s been an accident!” Talia’s voice was urgent and both Peter and Stiles turned to face their alpha. Stiles jumped down from the counter, standing by Peter’s side as Talia strode into the room.

“What’s happened?” 

“Derek just called – Jackson was run off the road!” 

“What?”

“We need to go – Derek has requested that I bite him!” 

“I – “ 

“Good, Stiles, you’re here. You can come too – Jackson will need someone who cares about him there for this – it can be quite traumatic.” They both followed Talia as she headed towards the front door, grabbing her keys as she did so. 

The journey to the accident site was quick, and the accident (if that was what it was) looked nasty. Jackson’s car looked like it had been rammed on the side and pushed off the road by a larger vehicle, lying on its side in the ditch. Derek was already there, kneeling beside Jackson’s prone figure.

“MOM! Thank God – I called to find out why he was late for practice – I was practically home when I saw a car side-swipe him and he went into the ditch! I didn’t know what else to do – “ Derek’s voice was panicked, his knuckles white as he held onto Jackson's hand. 

“Do we know who?” Peter asked, scanning the road to see if there was anyone in the vicinity. Derek’s Camaro was parked haphazardly across the road, but apart from that, the area was deserted. 

“Those assholes that got Stiles,” Jackson’s voice was weak and low, eyes unfocused as he held onto Derek’s hand. “I think they wanted payback!” 

“Bastards!” Stiles growled, kneeling at Jackson’s other side. 

“Yeah, well – no good deed!” Jackson said before coughing, blood splattering his chin. 

“Mom – “

“Derek, I need his consent! You know this might not work – “

“Jackson – there’s so much I haven’t told you about myself! Look, you’re in bad shape – “

“No shit, Sherlock!” Jackson snarked.

“Derek, you’re so long-winded. Just change!” Stiles instructed, holding tightly to Jackson’s other hand. “Jackson – wanna be something special? Faster, stronger?”

“Stiles – “

“Change!” Stiles’ tone was harsh and commanding and Derek seemed to respond involuntarily, changing into his beta form. 

“What the – “

“Yeah, werewolves – blah blah! Do you wanna join the club? Cos Talia’s right here and can do it but she needs you to say yes.”

“Are you – “Jackson looked vaguely terrified but he hadn’t let go of either hand holding his. 

“Yeah, but I’m kinda defective – got the flashing eyes but none of the extra hair,” Stiles joked before turning to Talia. “He’s ready.” 

Peter kept an eye out as Talia moved to Jackson’s side, working around Derek to shift Jackson’s clothes out of the way.

“This is not the way we normally do this, but these are extenuating circumstances. I have to bite you – it’s going to hurt, but then you will hopefully pass out and we’ll take you back to the den and take care of you. You won’t be alone and I will look after you,” Talia said, looking into Jackson’s eyes.

“Will it take?” Derek asked as Jackson looked to Stiles and then Derek for reassurance.

“it should. Stiles was in worse physical condition when he was bitten as a child. But I must warn you – there is no guarantee.” Talia waited for a beat to allow that to sink in. “Jackson – we are running out of time. If you don’t want this, we will try our best to get you to hospital in time but – “

“Do it!” Jackson said, firming his chin.

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes,” he replied before turning to Derek. “You won’t leave my side?”

“I promise,” Derek said and leaned over to press a kiss to Jackson’s forehead.

“And I’ll be there to irritate the fuck out of you,” Stiles said, before nodding to Talia. She leaned over and bit into the bruised and bloody skin of Jackson’s stomach, her eyes flashing red. Jackson’s body arched and he screamed in pain, but Stiles and Derek held him in place until he mercifully passed out and Talia released her grip and got to her feet. 

“Let’s get him back to the house. Peter – find out who did this,” Talia said, her face stony, her tone harsh. 

“Will do,” Peter said before helping Stiles and Derek carry Jackson’s limp form to the car. Once he was secured, Derek handed over his car keys before he climbed in after Jackson and Talia got into the driver’s seat. 

“You two, shift the car completely so that it can’t be seen. We don’t want anyone reporting this until we’re ready with a story. Stiles – stick with Peter. **Do not** go rogue – do you understand me?” Stiles nodded reluctantly before he and Peter watched as Talia drove off. 

“Where do we start?” Stiles asked. For a moment, Peter found himself wondering if this was the right thing, despite Talia’s orders. Stiles was so young – was it right to involve him in something like this? “Don’t even think about it – Jackson is ours which means no one gets to mess with him. And if it was those assholes from before – if you don’t let me help you, I **will** get them myself,” he stated, his tone resolute. 

“Very well. Help me hide the car – there’s a small gap in the trees which we should be able to get it through. Then we go hunting,” Peter stated and Stiles nodded.

* * *


	9. A New Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new pack bond is created and Peter is made to realise how his behaviour has been affecting Stiles.
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please accept my apologies for the delay in updating. I've been having some internet issues and the UK has just gone into another full lockdown so RL has been - _difficult_. But on the plus side, this is almost 3000 words so a chunky chapter!

“How do you know these boys?” Peter and Stiles knelt in the shadows provided by a car, looking at a vehicle in a driveway. Stiles had known exactly where to go and had directed Peter there with ease. They had parked Derek’s Camaro a little way down the road so that it wouldn’t be spotted – it was too conspicuous for surveillance work but once they had managed to move Jackson’s car into the trees, they hadn’t wanted to waste time going back to the Den. 

“Greenberg plays lacrosse with Derek and Jackson. The others are just his hangers-on – they don’t like me because sometimes I mouth off at them,” Stiles replied, tapping his fingers on his knee. Peter reached out and took his hand, holding it still and heard Stiles’ heartbeat slow. He needed him calm for this – it was a reconnaissance mission – they didn’t want to be seen or heard, they just wanted information. “If they did this because Jackson helped me – “

“It won’t **just** be because of that – it’s an excuse. Don’t take the responsibility for other people’s actions, Stiles,” Peter advised. 

“So – we can see from the side of his car that he’s hit something in the last 24 hours. And the paint matched Jackson’s – even I can see that in the moonlight,” Stiles said. “How do we get him to come out?”

“We don’t – not tonight. Tonight we just let him know that he is marked and we deal with him at our leisure,” Peter stated, getting to his feet. 

“But – “

“Stiles! Think! If something happens to them immediately after they've hurt Jackson, they might trace it back to us! We need to use our brains, not just brawn for this. Think like a Left Hand, _not_ a brainless boy seeking revenge!” Peter waited until the mutinous expression had left Stiles’ face and he accepted the sense of what the older teen was saying. “Come along.”

Stiles followed him silently, the two of them moving shadows that would draw little attention. Once they were in the driveway, Peter transformed one of his hands into claws and explained to Stiles what he was doing.

“This is the symbol for revenge – we leave this for our enemies to let them know that we are coming, to instil fear, to allow them the opportunity to handle their business before they meet us.”

“Doesn’t it just give them enough warning to do a runner?” Stiles asked, watching with wide eyes as Peter gouged a careful spiral in the passenger door of the vehicle.

“The running is what makes the hunting fun,” Peter replied, grinning. “This Greenberg may or may not connect this with what happened to Jackson, but any other supernaturals in the area will know that he is marked for vengeance and steer clear. Now – let’s get home – I have the feeling Jackson and Derek may need us, and we need to report back to Talia.” Nodding, Stiles ran silently next to Peter back to Derek’s Camaro and they made their way home.

* * *

”Is it normally like this?” Derek fussed with the sheets lying on Jackson’s prone figure, looking worriedly at his mother. 

“Derek, I’ve told you – there have been no signs of rejection even if Jackson isn’t acting in a textbook fashion! These things take time and are not an exact science – “

“But you won’t answer me about whether _this_ is normal or not!” he complained.

“Ssh! Can’t you feel him – through the Pack bond?” Stiles spoke in an almost dreamy tone, his gaze fixated on Jackson. Jackson’s eyes could be seen fluttering whilst closed and his breathing had escalated. 

“What do you mean, Stiles?” Talia asked, leaning forward in her chair. Peter watched from his position at the door, intrigued. From the time they had arrived back at the den, Stiles had been glued to Jackson’s side, holding his hand. Jackson had jerked and thrashed around a little when Stiles had sat down beside him then had settled in his current state. Whilst Stiles and Peter had been out marking Greenberg’s car, Jackson had been agitated and restless, refusing to settle for either Talia or Derek. 

“I can feel him – he’s not – like you – or me, even. But I can tell it’s Jackson. So much rage, but loyalty and love too,” Stiles responded, a smile on his face as he closed his eyes and swaying slightly from side to side. Peter and Talia shared a look, whilst Derek became even more agitated. 

“What do you mean – not like us? Stiles – “ Stiles’ eyes snapped open suddenly, his irises completely obscured by a deep yellow surrounded by red, his pupils looking more similar to a cat’s or lizard’s. 

“Stiles is not here,” he intoned in a voice that was not his own.

“Then – who are we talking to?” Talia got to her feet, automatically taking a stance that enabled her to be prepared for an attack. 

“You’re talking to **us**!” Jackson roared, suddenly leaping from the bed and heading directly for Talia. Derek tried to intervene, throwing himself between his alpha and his friend, but Jackson lashed out, his fingernails scraping Derek’s cheek and sending him to the ground with a thud. Peter stepped into the fray, using Jackson’s momentum to toss him back onto the bed, struggling to strap him to the frame despite his flailing arms and legs. He turned to Stiles, realising that he was sat staring into space, his eyes unfocused, his mouth slightly agape. 

“Stiles? STILES!” He shouted, desperately searching his face for a glimmer of consciousness. Jackson was thrashing against the restraints, intent on escaping and Peter realised that the teenager’s face was being overlaid by dark green scales. They flowed back and forth, never quite taking over completely. “What the hell – “

“Derek is paralysed! Peter – we have to get him out of here!” Talia shouted, pulling at the limp figure of her son as she dragged Derek’s unresisting body through the door. At the same time, Jackson somehow managed to wrestle free from his restraints, jumping nimbly from the bed until he was between Peter and Stiles. He was growling, his eyes pure yellow, fangs dropping in his mouth. The scales were once again sliding over his face and there was no recognition in his face. It took some effort and skill, but Peter managed to wrestle Jackson to the ground, claws raised to strike when Stiles shouted out “NO!” The young boy shook himself and jumped up, grabbing Peter’s arm and preventing him from slicing down and removing the threat. 

“Stiles – “ Jackson’s voice was guttural, but the tone was beseeching.

“Jackson – “

“Oh hell no!” Peter exclaimed, struggling against Stiles’ inexplicably stronger grip. Somehow Jackson raised one arm, his hand outstretched and before he could stop him, Stiles had taken hold of him, hand on his forearm, creating a bizarre union that Peter didn’t understand. The silence in the room was deafening, the moment profound and then Stiles spoke.

“You can let him up now,” Stiles said, still maintaining his grip on Jackson’s arm. 

“Stiles – “ Peter protested.

“Let him up – please,” Stiles reiterated, giving Peter a hard look. His eyes glowed blue but he appeared to be in control. “You’re not going to hurt anyone – are you Jackson?”

“What about Derek?” Talia demanded, having returned to the room after placing her son out of danger. 

“He’s – “

“Not permanent,” Jackson slurred, the scales no longer crossing his face in waves, his eyes back to their normal blue, fatigue clear on his face. 

“What the fuck are you?” Peter asked, getting to his feet. He couldn’t figure out if he should be protecting his alpha or Stiles – his instincts said that they should both leave the room and let him handle Jackson, but he fought against them in an attempt to understand. Stiles helped Jackson to his feet and they stood facing each other, arms gripped tightly. 

“Whatever he is, he’s mine,” Stiles stated. To Peter’s surprise, Jackson didn’t object to Stiles’ statement, merely stood there. 

“Talia – “

“Don’t look at me,” she replied, seeming to become more relaxed as time passed and Jackson didn’t attack again. “Stiles – what do you and Jackson need us to do now?” 

“I don’t – maybe just give us some time together. It feels like the pack bonds but different – maybe it just needs time to solidify or settle? I don’t think he’s a danger to anyone if that’s what you’re worried about,” Stiles replied, glancing at Jackson now and then. Peter felt a ball of rage building in his stomach watching the way the two of them looked at each other and he stepped back, unwilling to leave but not sure what else he could do. 

“Then we’ll go – let you guys finalise your bond or whatever. Jackson – “Talia waited until he turned to her, his eyes almost glowing. “Stiles is in **my** pack, and if you accept this bond with him, that makes you pack as well. Do you understand?” 

Jackson nodded, as did Stiles and Peter realised that regardless of how he felt about the entire situation, this bond or whatever it was, was there to stay. Bringing Jackson into the Pack had seemed fine when he was attached to Derek and joining as a wolf – why did it make his hackles rise now? He followed Talia out of the room, helping her carry Derek up to his room. The younger man was fully conscious but didn’t seem able to speak, remaining where they placed him on the bed in an unnaturally stiff position. 

“What was that?” Peter turned to Talia as soon as his nephew was as comfortable as possible. 

“I don’t know – I’ve heard of mutations from the bite, of things other than rejection, but I know they haven’t been around for years. Maybe we should call Deaton?” Talia replied, tucking her son under blankets. She was relieved when she heard him groan as it meant the power of speech was possibly returning and Jackson hadn’t been lying when he said it was temporary.

“I don’t feel right leaving Stiles with – “

“Peter – to be fair, it looks like Stiles is the safest of all of us with Jackson – they definitely created a weird bond, I can feel it,” Talia responded, pressing her palm to her chest.

“Yes, but what kind of addition?” Peter grumbled, refusing the acknowledge the fledging consciousness that was attempting to bond with him. 

“That’s what Deaton is for. I wonder if Jackson had any supernatural relatives from his biological parents? It would explain a lot,” Talia mused, pulling Peter out of Derek’s room. 

“And Stiles?”

“Perhaps it’s time we request that Deaton dig a bit deeper. Maybe this is the explanation as to why he doesn’t shift the way we do. Obviously Stiles and Jackson are linked – “

“That’s a big assumption to make,” Peter protested and Talia eyed him. “What?”

“Normally you’d be all about what this could mean to the Pack, whether it’s a strength to be utilised or a weakness to be protected. Why does the fact that he’s bonded with Stiles cause you to feel like this?” Talia persisted. 

“I don’t know – I just don’t like the thought of them being so close – “

“Oh my God, when Stiles told me he was feeling isolated in the pack, I thought it might be hyperbole! But you’re being completely dog in the manger about him – you don’t have time for him because you are always off with Christopher Argent, but you don’t want him to get too close to any of the others!”

“That’s not true!” Peter complained.

“Oh no? Then why has he been feeling so lonely lately? I wondered if it might be thoughts of his parents, but I think he’s feeling rejected by the Pack as a whole and I’m starting to think there’s a reason behind it!” Talia drew herself up to her full height, and even though she was now shorter than him due to a recent growth spurt, Peter felt like she was towering over him. “His only real friend has been Scott McCall – who can’t come out to the house or do much at all due to his asthma – Laura and Cora are off doing their own thing; David is in a world of his own, and Derek has been concentrating on Boyd and Jackson! Who does Stiles have, Peter?”

“I don’t know what you – “

“You promised me faithfully when I bit him that you would take care of him! But you’ve neglected him shamefully since you and Chris became more physical in your relationship! If you don’t have the time he needs, then perhaps this bond with Jackson is a good thing!” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know what it is about Stiles that seems to make you incapable of being rational, but I do know that this needs to stop. We make a decision about McCall – this weekend – and we will encourage Stiles and Jackson in this bond as long as it isn’t dangerous. Am I clear?”

“I was trying to protect him – “

“I know! But Peter – you can’t keep him in the box you had him in when he was a child. Stiles reminds me of you in so many ways, but it isn’t fair or right that his main companion is Fenrir.” Talia sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “I’ve been so busy with things that I haven’t seen what’s been happening and I need to rectify that. So – you will step back and allow Stiles to have friends and a life outside of you – are we clear?”

“Fine,” he replied.

“Peter – do I have to make this an alpha command?”

“No – I get it! I’ve been – jealous – of his time and attention. I _liked_ the fact that he looked forward to seeing me and spending time with me so much, I didn’t think about what it was like for him when I wasn’t around.” Peter sighed. “You’re right – I haven’t done right by him.”

“This doesn’t mean you back off completely or disappear – this just means you let him be an eleven year old boy, have friends, be a full member of the Pack. He is not ‘yours’ alone – he belongs _with_ the Pack. Okay?”

“Yes – we’re clear. And you’re right.” Leaning against the wall, Peter allowed his head to thunk back, sighing. “How am I going to make this right? Because you and I both know McCall isn’t a good fit for the Pack.”

“We can sort things out this weekend. In the meantime, we get food and blankets, etc., down to Stiles and Jackson, then give them some peace and quiet. And we speak to the other pack members, let them know that the rooms in the basement are out of bounds for the time being.”

“What about Derek?” Talia looked over her shoulder towards her son’s room.

“Once this paralysis wears off, he can go down to the basement and check in – he’s obviously more attached to Jackson than I had realised and he’ll need to work a few things out with Stiles.”

“I wouldn’t want to be a fly on the wall for that conversation – our Derek can be a tad possessive of his toys,” Peter smirked, stepping away from the wall and heading down the hallway.

“Pot – meet kettle!” Talia said loudly behind his back but he ignored her. He knew his possessive attitude towards Stiles was potentially problematic. It had always been this way – from before Stiles was bitten. But Talia was right – he needed to give the boy some room to grow into himself, figure out who he was within the Pack. 

After they had dealt with McCall and Greenberg.

* * *


	10. Confirmation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cofirmation of who hurt Jackson, and the Pack comes together....
> 
> * * *

“You might as well come in – I can tell you’re out there,” Stiles said quietly, watching the door as Derek slowly entered the room. “He’s asleep,” he said.

“So – you two – “ Derek asked hesitantly.

“Dude! I’m eleven years old – I still sorta think other people have cooties even if I can also tell I have leanings towards particular people. No – it’s not like that,” Stiles replied, carefully lifting Jackson’s arm from around his waist and sliding off the bed onto the floor. From the time Peter and Talia had left, he and Jackson had been puppy-piling (he refused to call it snuggling or cuddling) together on the bed, Jackson acting like the big spoon whilst Stiles watched the door. It had all been instinctual and Stiles wondered where it was all coming from, but he had plenty of time to hit the library. First of all, he needed to ensure that the relationship between Jackson and Derek wasn’t damaged. “He just needed me to help him settle the bond – that’s pretty sorted out now, so I think he’s gonna wake up and be looking for you.”

“Why do you think he’ll be looking for me?” Derek crept a little closer and Stiles deliberately crawled to the side to make the path to the bed easier. 

“Don’t act dumb, Derek. Even I can see what’s going on between you two!” Derek at least had the grace to look a little shamefaced before he finally reached the bed, staring down at Jackson’s sleeping form. 

“I’m glad you can see it because I’m gonna be honest, until this happened I hadn’t realised – I mean, I knew I liked him but – I didn’t know – “

“You didn’t know you liked him, liked him! Dude! You are so oblivious sometimes, it’s a joke.” Stiles sighed as he got to his feet and made his way to the chair. “Look – he needs stability. The shit that happens with his family – the way he feels – he’s – _lost_. I felt it inside him because I feel the same way – that’s the basis of our bond. It’s not all that it is, but it plays a huge role.”

“I don’t understand how you can feel so lost – you’re an integral part of the Pack – we don’t work without you,” Derek said, sitting down on the bed carefully so as not to jostle Jackson.

“Yeah, well, you guys kinda sucked lately at showing that! I mean – you were always off with Boyd and Jackson; David has his own stuff going on; Laura and Cora are just – well, to be blunt, they’re major bitches and act like they run the school which really sucks because I don’t fit in there either.” Playing with his fingers for a moment, Stiles tried to figure out how he wanted to say things. “I felt alone – added to which, this whole not shifting thing – I had Peter and that was it. And then – well, then he and Chris got all groiny and – “

“I get it. And, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for my part in it. If you want – you can hang around with us at school,” Derek offered, his hand reaching out almost involuntarily to rest against Jackson’s head. 

“Eleven year old me and sixteen year old you – not sure about that combination, dude.”

“Stiles – “

“It would make more sense if you guys were slamming me into lockers and shit – lemme think about it.”

“Well tomorrow – if Mom decides Jackson can got to school – you’re coming in with us. We’re presenting a united front – at least until this stuff is sorted,” Derek said firmly, fingers carding through Jackson’s hair. They both stilled when Jackson stirred slightly, a small smile spreading across his face even in sleep as he turned towards Derek’s touch. “And whatever you and Uncle Peter get up to – we’re going to be there, backing you up.”

“I don’t know what Peter has planned, but I’ll tell him.” Stiles got to his feet and yawned, stretching his arms over his head. “You okay keeping him company? I need a shower and some food, like, stat.”

“Yeah – I can do that,” Derek said faintly, all of his attention on Jackson.

“Yeah, I thought that wouldn’t be an issue,” Stiles replied, leaving the room and closing the door to give them some privacy. The two of them would figure it out, even if he had to do some pushing to make it so.

* * *

_”You have to maintain control – we don’t know quite what’s happened to you, but we **do** know you recognise Stiles as a Pack-mate. Stick as close to him as you can in stressful situations and do not reveal yourself. Watch their reactions to you being there, and report back to me. We will deal with this together – do you understand?”_

Peter’s words ringing in his ears, Jackson walked confidently alongside Stiles and Derek into the main corridor of the school. Their lockers were nowhere near Stiles’, but they had already made the decision to start there: Greenberg and his cronies would no doubt think that they had free reign to mess with Stiles if they thought Jackson was out of commission. 

“You go ahead – we’ll be here,” Derek said to Stiles, who nodded. 

“You okay, Jackson?” Stiles asked and he turned and smiled. He couldn’t explain why it settled something in his chest when he was close to Stiles – whatever it was that had taken up residence in him after the bite recognised Stilinski as being theirs in a way he had never experienced before. He was still trying to parse all of the information he had been given: werewolves, alphas, supernatural. And that didn’t even take into account whatever the hell he was. But he was trusting in his gut and how he had felt waking up in Derek’s arms. He had felt safe, protected, wanted. Seeing Stiles at breakfast had solidified that enough for him to go ahead with the plan that had been hatched.

As expected, Greenberg and his two main friends appeared next to Stiles as soon as he opened his locker, Greenberg shoving Stiles by the back of the head. 

“Easy,” Derek muttered, and Jackson realised he was growling under his breath. 

“Well lookie here – it’s the little orphan boy without his protection! What’s the matter, Stiles, not got such a big mouth on you without Jackson backing you up?” Greenberg sneered, pushing Stiles until he was completely backed into the lockers and getting into his space. 

“You know, if you like being this close to me, you might want to speak to a therapist or counsellor. I’m pretty sure they could arrange some shots or whatever to take care of those – _urges_ of yours!” Stiles shot back, not looking even remotely intimidated.

“What is that meant to mean?”

“I’m sorry – too many big syllables? I’m saying, if you like messing around with little boys so much, maybe you should get some help before you end up on the sex offender’s register!” Stiles explained, wincing as Greenberg realised what he had said and punched him in the stomach. Unable to stand back any longer – even knowing that if he wanted to, Stiles could slice Greenberg open from throat to groin easily – Jackson sauntered forward, casually backhanding Greenberg away from Stiles and across the corridor where he ricocheted off the lockers on that side and fell to the ground.

“Whittemore?! That’s not –”

“Sorry, Greenberg, what was that you were saying?” Jackson drawled, casually leaning against the lockers so that he was level with Stiles and they were standing shoulder to shoulder. 

“What the hell, man? You split my lip!” Greenberg scrambled to his feet, hand coming away from his face with blood on it.

“I’ll split your insides if you keep up this shit – why don’t you pick on someone your own size? I mean, I know you’ve been held back a couple of years so you’re older than some of the teachers maybe, but that doesn’t mean it’s right picking on kids like McCall and Stilinski here!”

“I haven’t been held – fuck you, Jackson! This is none of your business!” 

“Oh I beg to differ – “

“But even if it wasn’t _his_ business as a decent human being, it most definitely is mine!” Derek appeared behind Greenberg, who whirled and gasped when he realised who it was. “See, Stiles is my little brother. I might beat on him, lose his homework for him, wind him up and mess with him – but that doesn’t mean anyone else can. Because he’s **my** family, and if I have to write that on your body in capital letters so you don’t forget it, I’m perfectly happy to do that!” 

“We talking about our little shit?” Boyd strolled up to Derek, standing at his right shoulder and helping to create an impressive human barrier. Jackson was surprised and pleased – Boyd knew nothing of what was going on but automatically backed Derek up. It boded well for if/when he was let in on the whole wolf thing. 

“Yeah. See what I mean, Greenberg? Stiles – and by proxy, his friends – are _our_ little shits. Which means, you lay a finger on them, and we’ll be forced to lay hands on you!” Derek stated clearly, menacing Greenberg whilst not being anywhere near him. “And if I find out you had anything to do with a certain vehicle incident – “

“That was Carver! That was all his idea!” Greenberg stuttered, pointing at one of his friends.

Derek, Boyd, Jackson and Stiles all turned to Carver who had gone pale and taken a couple of steps backwards. 

“It was my idea but I wasn’t driving and I didn’t think – “

“Obviously!” Stiles spat out, he and Jackson moving until they were stood with Derek and Boyd.

“He can’t have been that badly hurt!” sneered Kirby, Greenberg’s other sidekick who had moved to stand with Greenberg. “And I’m gonna say I reckon our odds are better than yours! I’ve seen Stilinski in the gym – he doesn’t have the abilities of a newborn lamb!” 

“I’ll show you a newborn lamb – “ Stiles yelled, eyes flickering blue as he lost his temper and lurched towards Kirby. Jackson grabbed him by the shoulder, just in time for Mr Harris to appear in the corridor. 

“What’s going on here? All of you – disperse immediately! It’s past time for your first lesson! Stilinski! I should have known you’d be in the middle of this – to the administrative office at once! I’ve had more than enough of your trouble-making – I’m contacting your guardian about this!” Kirby, Greenberg and Carver took advantage of Harris’s appearance and left quickly, leaving Derek, Boyd, Jackson and Stiles in front of Harris. “Are you deaf? I told you to get to your lessons – I’ll deal with Stilinski!”

Only his grip on Stiles’ prevented Jackson from leaping forward and ripping out Harris’s throat at his tone, and he worked desperately hard to concentrate on his breathing as Stiles’ hand grabbed hold of his.

“Oh I see! You got a thing for little boys, Jackson? I’m shocked but to be honest, the fact that you’re adopted should have alerted us to the chance that you could turn out – “

“One more word and you won’t make it to the admin office,” Stiles threatened his voice low. His link in the pack-bond felt heated and angry, causing the three of them to bristle with an almost hive-like rage.

“Are you threatening me, you little – “ Harris shouted.

“Careful,” Derek growled and Harris went white, before regaining his equilibrium.

“Fine – all of you, to the office. I will be contacting your parents. Threatening a member of staff will not go unpunished. Now – move.” Harris shifted to stand to the side and the four of them moved past him as one unit and headed towards the administrative offices. Jackson glanced over his shoulder periodically, allowing a smirk to cross his face when he saw how nervous Harris was. So he should be – Talia would tear him a new asshole and make him say thank you.

* * *

”I was brought in here for what exactly?” Talia’s voice could be heard clearly in the reception area – even Boyd could hear what she was saying. She knew the boys were angry and needed to make sure that they knew their alpha was there and ready to defend them. 

“It would appear that your son, Derek, and your ward, Stiles – were causing a fight in the corridor by the lockers and when a member of staff intervened, they threatened him,” Principal Howard explained, sounding nervous. 

“An eleven year old boy threatened a _teacher_?” Talia asked in an incredulous tone. 

“He did, yes,” said Harris, hands pressed primly in his lap as he faced her.

“And how – and why – did he threaten you, Mr Harris?” Talia allowed the cynicism and doubt in her voice to be clear.

“Stilinski is a disruptive – “ Harris began.

“I asked how he threatened you,” she reiterated, knowing full well Harris’s views on Stiles in general.

“I was rebuking another student and he threatened me – said that I wouldn’t make it to the admin office if I spoke another word,” Harris admitted, his voice petering off slightly towards the end. 

“Rebuking another student? I have spoken to all of the boys and according to them, you accused Jackson of being a paedophile,” Talia grated out.

“What? No, I – “

“Adrian – Mr Harris – is this true?” Principal Howard turned to Harris in shock.

“No! Of course not! I said that Jackson appeared to be enamoured of Stilinski and – “ Harris stammered.

“Mrs Hale – I am so sorry – “

“Sorry is little comfort when you have potentially traumatised an eleven-year-old boy who has been through more than enough in his young life; sorry doesn’t even cover it when you have accused an upstanding student with an impeccable record, who was defending a young boy from bullies I might add, of having an unnatural desire for him; sorry is barely enough recompense for you accusing my **son** – who is on track to be valedictorian I believe – of threatening a member of staff. Exactly what were you doing about the bullies themselves, Mr Harris?”

“I – “

“Their names are Greenberg, Carver and Kirby – unfortunately, I don’t have their first names. I gained this information simply by _talking_ to the very boys you have out there in reception for less than five minutes. As far as I can tell, they have committed no offence whatsoever. I am beginning to wonder if the issue is not with them, but with you – Mr Harris,” Talia stated firmly. 

“Mrs Hale – I can only apologise! Obviously, there is more to this situation than I had realised. I mistakenly took the word of Mr Harris regarding the offences that had taken place and a call had been placed to you before I investigated fully,” Principal Howard said, his tone of voice and body language apologetic.

“I see. Well – I would say that this has been a waste of my time, but perhaps not. If this is the calibre and type of teacher that you have here in Beacon Hills High, I may have to reconsider sending my children here – and our regular donations to the school,” she said, ignoring Harris’s gasp.

“I really don’t think that will be necessary,” Principal Howard said, sending a venomous glance in Harris’s direction. “I will deal with the situation with Mr Harris personally and ensure that all of the boys receive a personal apology from him.”

“And the bullies?” Talia pressed.

“I will investigate the accusations very carefully – statements will be taken from each of the boys by the end of the day,” Principal Howard assured her.

“Not today. All of them will be coming with me – I feel that being in school today might be a mistake. I look forward to hearing the results of your investigations and I trust that this will not be allowed to happen again.”

“No. I mean, yes, I will ensure this never happens again and – “ Principal Howard took a deep breath and steadied himself. “It will be as you requested.”

“Excellent. Good day.” Getting to her feet, Talia ignored the two men taking audible breaths of relief and stalked out of the office. “You lot – come with me!”

Boyd hesitated, pointing a finger at his chest whilst the others all got to their feet immediately.

“Yes – you too. We’re leaving.” Boyd scrambled to gather his belongings and joined the other three boys as they strode out of school behind Talia, leaving chaos in their wake as Principal Howard turned and began to berate Mr Harris.

* * *

”Kirby, Carver and Greenberg – all three of them confirmed it,” Jackson said to Peter, watching as he casually sharpened a blade.

“Good. I believe Talia will be making sure they are removed from school quite promptly.”

“Do you think that’s enough?” Jackson asked. Peter gave him a sharp smile, looking vaguely feral despite the lack of fangs. His eyes were glowing amber and Jackson gulped. Peter looked far older and more menacing than his age, and Jackson began to understand what it meant to be the Left Hand of the Pack.

“Oh no – that is far from enough. But all in stages – we dismantle their lives in stages so that they know not to mess with the Pack – even if they didn’t know,” Peter stated.

“But I wasn’t even Pack then – “

“Of course you were – you and Boyd have pretty much been Pack since Derek dragged you home the first time. You don’t have to be bitten to be Pack, Jackson,” Peter explained, continuing to sharpen the blade.

Jackson nodded, taking in the information.

“So, we what?”

“We are going to pay them each a little visit – wearing our alternative forms shall we say – and make sure that none of them do anything like this again,” Peter said, and Jackson found himself smiling. “Does that work for you?”

“Most definitely,” Jackson replied. He got up, intending on leaving Peter alone when the other man called his name. “Yes?”

“This bond between you and Stiles – “

“Look, Peter, I don’t know what you’ve got going on with Stilinski – but – don’t expect me to stand back and let you hurt him. You treat him right or Left Hand or not, I will come for you,” Jackson said, standing his ground. He flinched slightly when a furry presence brushed his side, turning to find that Stiles’ constant companion, Fenrir, had appeared. Reaching out a hand, he allowed Fenrir to sniff him and accept him, before stroking the fur on his massive head. “And it looks like I’ll have some back-up. I might not be able to finish you off, but I promise you – mess with Stilinski and I will do my very best to fuck you up.”

Peter stared at him, turning the blade absent-mindedly in his hands. 

“For some strange reason, I find myself appreciating that. And if I do hurt Stiles – I might even let you get in a few shots before I finish you off,” he finally said.

“Glad we’ve got that settled. I’m starving – I’m going to join the others,” Jackson said, walking out of the room on shaky legs. He closed the door behind him before he sank to his knees, gratefully burying his head in Fenrir’s fur. “God-damn, that man is scary!” Fenrir yipped his agreement, allowing Jackson’s need for comfort. “I’m glad he’s on our side, although I gotta say if he’s like this now, I hate to think what he’s going to be like when he’s older!” Fenrir woofed loudly in Jackson’s ear and wincing, he got to his feet. “Yeah – let’s get back to Stiles.”

* * *


	11. Switzerland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter comes to what feels like a horrifying realisation...
> 
> * * *

The rest of the week was almost eerily quiet. They rescued Jackson’s car from the woods where they had hidden it, and apart from copious amounts of animal shit and various bits of debris, which Jackson bitched about epically, it had suffered very little damage. Shockingly – or not according to Jackson – his parents hadn’t even noticed he hadn’t been around. Boyd had expressed zero curiosity about what was going on – Peter was pretty sure that he just wasn’t ready to acknowledge what he might have guessed, and it suited the family to leave things as they were. They had enough on their hands with their new Packmate. 

His talk with Talia regarding Scott had gone well. She agreed with him that the boy didn’t have the right – _character_ – to thrive as a member of the Pack. However, in an attempt to make things up to Stiles who was going to be very disappointed, Peter set a few things in motion and then, as was his way, sat back to observe.

* * *

Stiles sat back on the bench, waiting patiently for Scott to finish dressing. It always took his friend longer to get dressed after gym than anyone else – mainly because any exertion could set off an asthma attack so soon after gym class. He could sense an underlying excitement in Scott and wondered what it was about. They hadn’t had a chance to connect since Talia took the boys home from school following the bullying incident, not even online. He felt a little bad about it but he had been busy with Jackson. Their bond was very fresh and new, and it seemed that they needed to be close to each other. Deaton had confirmed that the need would calm down once they were more settled, but in the meantime they spent a lot of time piled onto the couch in the main living room of the den, watching trash on TV and silently ‘bonding’. 

He found himself looking Scott over critically, trying to see what Peter meant when he said that Scott wasn’t a good fit for the Pack. Despite their closeness in ages, there were marked differences between them, not all of them physical. Stiles managed to hide his musculature beneath baggy shirts and jeans – he didn’t feel up to explaining to anyone just why at eleven years old, he looked like he could bench press a lot more than his own body weight. His buzzed hair and wide eyes helped with the youthful appearance, but at times like this, he could see what a ‘normal’ eleven year old looked. 

Scott was small in stature, his hair flopping into his kind brown eyes, an innocence to his face that Stiles wasn’t sure he had ever possessed. Stiles couldn’t imagine his friend growing fangs, claws and fur – it just seemed incongruous to try to see Scott as a werewolf. He didn’t have that inner predator – or didn’t seem to. Perhaps it was in everyone and only came out when necessary?

“Stiles?”

“Sorry, buddy – what were you saying?” He forced himself to pay attention, aware that Scott might finally be about to reveal his secret.

“I had to wait until everyone else was gone but I’ve been _dying_ to tell you!”

“Tell me what? It’s not about your Dad is it?” 

“Ugh, no! Good riddance to bad rubbish!” Scott stated, yanking his sweatshirt over his head. “Mom hasn’t heard from him since he moved to San Francisco.”

“Cool – I think? I mean – he wasn’t the best Dad in the world, you know?” Stiles replied. 

“Exactly! And he was an even worse husband! No – this isn’t about that! This is about my asthma!”

“Oh right?”

“Yeah! Mom got a letter over the weekend – special delivery and everything. There’s a place in Switzerland that is running an experimental programme – they think they can help me!”

“In – Switzerland?”

“I know, but – they think they can help strengthen my lungs, maybe help with the effects of my asthma, give me a chance at a normal life! Isn’t that amazing?” Scott was practically hopping in place with excitement.

“I don’t understand – how - “

“I don’t know how they heard about me – or why they chose me – but – I could be fully fit! I could play lacrosse and run and – it would be absolutely amazing!” 

“So – when would you go?” Stiles had frozen on the bench, trying to parse the information Scott was relaying. 

“Like – immediately! Mom says they’re just beginning another cycle of the tests and want me there straight away! Flights, accommodation, everything is paid for – and a tutor! So I won’t even miss school!”

“Wow, that’s – “

“I mean it’ll suck starting over education-wise because I’m not sure what their school system is and everything – and of course I’ll miss you, but we can Skype and play online and – you’re still my best bud Stiles.” Scott finally seemed to realise that Stiles wasn’t as happy about his announcement as he had been hoping. 

“No, that’s – it’s an amazing opportunity! I mean – all expenses paid, experimental treatment – chance at a real life! Scott, this is awesome!” Stiles forced himself to his feet, grabbing his friend into a tight hug. Tears burned his eyes but he forced them back, hiding his face until he could be sure that any smile he gave would not look like a grimace. “Oh my God, imagine all of those hot Swiss girls you’ll get to play with! And you can take up snow-boarding and skiing – it’ll be brilliant!”

“And maybe you can come over for holidays? I mean – “

“No, yeah, sure – that’ll totally happen!” Patting Scott on the back, Stiles stepped back and smiled. “This is a fantastic opportunity for you, Scott. You should grab it with both hands! Beacon Hills will be here if you ever wanna visit and you bet I’ll start working on Talia straight away to sort out a holiday!”

“I knew you would be pleased for me!” Scott exclaimed, grinning with relief. “What do I pack? I mean, Mom says our house is gonna be rented out – maybe – but that most of my stuff won’t be suitable for out there. She said something about a stipend? So we can get some new stuff but – this is gonna be so cool?”

“Yeah, buddy – real cool!” Stiles replied, turning to grab his stuff. “We better get a move on – you know what Finstock can be like if we’re late!”

“Sure thing – I’m ready! Just think, Stiles – this is my last Economics lesson with Finstock!” Scott said as he headed for the locker room door.

“Lucky you!” Stiles replied, keeping his head down so that his expression didn’t give away how he was really feeling.

* * *

”You bastard!” Peter barely had time to catch the fist that came flying at his face, stumbling back from Stiles’ attack. “You’ve got him sent away!” 

Stiles’ voice rose in anger, his other fist managing to catch Peter on the side of the face. Not wanting to hurt the boy, Peter managed to grab both of his wrists and pull them into his chest, yanking Stiles close so that he didn’t have much room to struggle.

“Why? Why would you take him away? He was my _best friend_ and you’re sending him to Switzerland!”

“Stiles – “

“Don’t even try to pretend that this isn’t you – and Talia! Where else would all of this money have come from? Why else would anyone consider Scott for an experimental treatment? I can’t believe you would do this!”

“Stiles – I need you to calm down!” Peter winced as Stiles gave up on trying to pull his hands out of Peter’s grip, instead headbutting Peter in the chin, whilst trying to knee him in the crotch. Peter managed to twist to the side – barely but knew that if this carried on, he might inadvertently hurt Stiles. With swift motions, he swept Stiles’ legs out from under him, making sure to soften his landing and that he didn’t bash his head on the ground. He followed him down, grunting as Stiles took advantage of Peter’s unwillingness to cause him real harm by pushing off with his legs and sending Peter flying over his head. Quick as a flash, Peter jumped to his feet, barely avoiding the roundhouse kick that came towards him, not able to get out of the way of the fist to his solar plexus. Winded, he staggered back, taking a hit to the face that by the cracking sound broke his nose.

“God-damn it, Stiles – let me explain!” Stiles didn’t speak, using every fighting trick that he had learned during Pack training sessions to drive Peter back, missing more blows than he landed, but causing some damage. Temper flaring, Peter stepped into the next blow, wrenching Stiles’ arm around his back and driving the boy down onto the ground and landing on top of him. “Now will you please settle down and listen to me!”

“No! You absolute bastard! You knew – “

“I knew you would be upset but I didn’t do this to upset you! Scott isn’t a good match for the Pack, but I wanted to give you – him – _something_! There really is an experimental treatment that may help with his asthma – and ensuring that he and his mother could get away from Beacon Hills seemed like a _good_ thing! I’m beginning to regret that now – “

“He’s my best friend and you’re taking him away from me!” Stiles stopped struggling and Peter realised he was sobbing, his shoulders shaking. His heart broke for the boy even though he **knew** he was doing the right thing. Scott would do nothing but hold Stiles back, stop him reaching his full potential. It was better this way.

“Oh, Stiles – “

“No! I don’t want your pity or false sympathy! I don’t get why you won’t let me have friends – why you won’t let me have _anyone_! You have Christopher and I – “

“Because – “ _I want you for myself!_ Peter bit off the words before they could leave his mouth, shocked by the thought as soon as it crossed his mind. He scrambled back and away from Stiles, shuffling along the ground until he was sat on the floor across the room. “Jesus, I don’t mean – I just – “

Stiles had frozen when Peter had lifted off him but now turned over and sat up, staring at the teenager with angry eyes.

“Because what? You’re not making any sense, Peter – “ Stiles growled.

Still unable to believe his thoughts, Peter stared at Stiles in shock. This wasn’t who he was – where the hell had all of that come from? The idea of finding _a child_ attractive was repugnant to him, and he would never do anything to harm Stiles, but now the idea was in his head – was he sick? What if he was a danger to Stiles? Or – 

“What the hell is going on in here?” They both turned to face Talia who had stormed into the room.

* * *


	12. Desertion

“Why? I get that he might not be a good fit for the Pack, but why send him away?” Stiles sat across from Talia in her study, a mug of hot chocolate in his hand, staring at the slowly healing bruises on his knuckles from where he had hit Peter.

“That was my call. He wasn’t a good fit for the Pack, but we also didn’t want him to continue to suffer when there was potentially something we could do for him.”

“He’s my best friend – “

“I know, and I’m sorry for any hurt it causes you.” Talia came around the desk and sat next to Stiles on the leather couch. “With her husband gone, Melissa was struggling financially – we couldn’t think of a way to get her to accept support from us, but as someone adjacent to the Pack we felt a sense of responsibility. This seemed like a good way to help her without damaging her pride – and also to help Scott. We thought you would like that – would appreciate the fact that we were looking out for him. We obviously didn’t take into account how you would feel about losing your friend, and for that I apologise.”

Stiles nodded, understanding what Talia was saying even whilst he was hurt by her decision. 

“And the stuff with Peter? I mean – he’s been super-weird lately and just now he jumped off me like he’d been pistol whipped! What is he always so strange about me having friends?”

“He’s always been insanely possessive over you – from the time we found you at the accident site, he was bound and determined that I bite you. He couldn’t conceive of the idea that you might not survive the bite – and you know the survival rates when someone is severely injured.” Talia sighed, then took one of Stiles’ hands in her own. He watched as dark grey lines appeared on her forearms as she took the small amount of pain away. “He told me a story about following your mother around a store whilst she was pregnant with you – he was drawn to your heartbeat, found it soothing.”

“My heartbeat – before I was born?” Talia nodded. “I don’t – how does that – what about – “

“His entanglement with Christopher Argent is a whole different story. I’m not sure I understand it myself, although Deaton has some ideas.”

“You know, you’re kinda talking in riddles here,” Stiles said, growing drowsy as the hot chocolate, emotional outburst then attention from his alpha began to relax his system.

“I just think that perhaps this is one of those really irritating times when the grown up is going to say that you’ll understand when you’re older. Just know that Peter would _never_ do anything to hurt you and that this thing with Scott – this was him trying to do something nice.”

“Yeah, that just so happened to leave me friendless,” Stiles snarked, slipping sideways and finding himself with his head on Talia’s shoulder.

“You are never truly friendless when you have Pack, Stiles. I’m given to understand that you and Jackson are nearly inseparable – “

“Yeah, but in class – “

“Well, I know there’s no such thing as automatic friendship and please believe that I am not trying to replace Scott, but I wanted to talk to you about someone that has been brought to my attention. He’s in a difficult position with his father and we think he could rather do with a friend. Do you know Isaac Lahey?”

* * *

Chris walked into the Hale pool house to find Peter throwing clothes into a suitcase.

“What the hell?”

“Christopher!” He was barely able to steady himself when Peter threw himself into his arms. Peter was shaking and Chris was truly worried – he had never seen him like this. He was the most self-possessed person that Chris knew – this was completely unheard of. 

“What’s happened?”

“I can’t tell you – you’ll hate me!” Peter said, his voice muffled against Chris’s shoulder.

“Don’t be stupid! You know I’m ridiculously in love with you – for God’s sake, I’m going against everything my family believes in just _being_ with you! Peter – you have to talk to me!” Peter pulled away, swiping his hands over his face to wipe away tears and walking across the room to take a seat.

“Okay – okay! Listen – this isn’t me – I swear it isn’t! I have never – I mean **never** considered that – Jesus, what if – “

“Okay, first of all I need you to take a deep breath. Then it would be great if you talked in sentences.” Taking a seat opposite Peter, Chris reached out and took his hand. “Have you killed someone?”

“NO! God – that would be so much easier to handle!” Chris nodded, knowing full well that Peter had more than likely killed many things in the name of keeping the Hales and Beacon Hills safe.

“Then – what is it?”

“I – I have feelings for Stiles,” Peter muttered, clutching at Chris’s fingers.

“Yeah, and?”

“No – I mean – I have _feelings_ for Stiles,” Peter said more firmly, looking up at Chris. “I – he was mad about something I had done and I was trying to reason with him! He hit me – I wrestled him to the ground – he asked me why I had done it and – “

“And what?”

“I realised that – that I wanted him for myself. Like – not just as a pack-mate.” Chris sat still, letting Peter’s words sink in and doing his best not to react. “I’ve got to get away from here – I’m a danger to him, a disgrace to the Pack – I – “

“Hold on, hold on! So – you didn’t **do** anything, right? You just realised that – what, Stiles appeals to you and your wolf in a way that you hadn’t thought of?”

“How can you be so calm about this?”

“Because I know – _everyone_ knows – that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt Stiles. It’s like, a known fact. You wouldn’t hurt a hair on the little bastard’s head – so if you’re saying what I think you’re implying – “

“How can you – “

Realising that Peter was too busy beating himself up to listen properly, Chris went for shock value. “Peter! Do you want to be intimate with him – now, I mean?”

“NO!” Peter shouted, looking repulsed at the mere idea.

“Do you get aroused when you’re with him?”

“Don’t be disgusting!” Peter leapt to his feet, wrenching his hand from Chris’s and beginning to pace around the room. 

“Then could you do me a favour and use that big brain of yours for just a second? You have **always** had a connection to Stiles – a very possessive one, I might add. And as someone who is involved with you, believe me, I have had a few thoughts occasionally about whether you would put him or me first.”

“I would never – “

“Look, I know! This – this connection. It’s mystical – for God’s sake, you’re a werewolf – is it so difficult to imagine that the idea that there is someone out there who is _meant_ for you is too extreme?” 

“I don’t understand.” Peter came to a halt in front of Chris and he reached out and pulled him between his legs, holding him firmly. 

“I love you. I think I’ve loved you from the day you offered to get a dog and share it with me. Never mind that somehow that dog somehow belongs to Stiles and we barely get a look in – you are, more than likely, it for me. But I also know that your connection to Stiles has grown stronger over time.” Chris sighed. “There is something about that irritating little shit that – it just – “

“Takes hold of you and it’s impossible to shake,” Peter stated, his voice no longer as shaky.

“Exactly. When he’s older – it might change, become something more, something deeper – it might not change, it might lessen. None of us can know that. But you are **not** a danger to him. Are you listening to me?”

“You really believe that?”

“I do.”

“But you and I – I always thought – “

“So did I. So **do** I. I’m not handing you over on a silver platter – I fully intend to fight for what we have. But I can’t stand the thought that you’re thinking that you’re some kind of – “ Before he could finish the sentence, Peter had leant down and kissed him. “What –?”

“Thank you – for having faith in me, for helping me with this.” Peter straddled his legs, wrapping his arms around Chris’s shoulders. “What I feel for you has almost always been there – I can’t imagine not having what we have. I – “

“Then let’s just take our time – see what happens. Don’t jump the gun, run away, whatever it was you had planned.”

“I must admit, I hadn’t really planned anything – I just thought I needed to get away. I still feel like that – “

“And where would you go?”

“There has been some talk of a mentorship with Satomi Ito and her pack – like an apprenticeship,” Peter said, resting his head on top of Chris’s.

“She’s only one county over, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, if you really think you need space – and you wanted me to visit – “

“You’d do that? For me?”

“Oh Peter, there is very little I wouldn’t do for you,” Chris admitted, pulling the other man as close as he could. The whole situation with Stiles had been preying on his mind for a while – he was drawn to the boy but did his best to stay away from him. Stiles could be quite savage in his dislike of Chris and he didn’t want to end up fighting with Peter over it. But yes, he could well understand what a shock it was to his lover to realise that his feelings towards the young boy were not merely those of pack-mates. It was so obvious to everyone else: the way the two of them sometimes seemed to share the same brain, how they gravitated to each other – Chris wasn’t blind. But he also wasn’t willing to give up on what he had with Peter – if he had to find a way for the three of them to work something out when Stiles was older, then so be it. 

“Come on – you can talk to Talia tomorrow and then pack. How about for tonight we just Netflix and chill?” He could feel Peter’s smile against the top of his head.

“I don’t think that means what you think it means,” Peter said, a smile in his voice.

“If it means instead of watching you run away, I get to hold you in my arms while we watch one of those dry documentaries you are such a fan of, then I don’t care,” Chris said, pulling back slightly and looking up at Peter. “My father was talking about sending me on a job in Japan – it shouldn’t take long. When I come back, I could come and see you in Cannon Creek. You’re not alone Peter – remember that.”

“I will! Now, what was that about Netflix and chill?” Chris allowed himself to be led from the chair to the small double bed that had been theirs since forever, relieved that he wasn’t losing Peter – not yet.

* * *

Within the space of a few days, Stiles’ entire life had been upended. From nowhere, Peter was off to spend an unspecified amount of time with a neighbouring Pack and Scott was bound for Switzerland. He leaned back in the branches of the tree he had climbed, staring sightlessly. He had never felt so alone.

“Will you at least come down and say goodbye?”

“I don’t like goodbyes – it was hard enough with Scott,” he replied sullenly, refusing to look down at Peter even though he had been aware of his approach. 

“Stiles – “

“No, it’s fine – you go and do all sorts of exciting things with your new pack – don’t worry about me!”

“Don’t be so ridiculous! Satomi is just going to help with my Left Hand training. You know with my parents dying unexpectedly that it was incomplete. It won’t be for that long, Stiles.”

“Long enough that you’ll probably forget me,” he replied sulkily. They had been over this several times since the decision had been made, but Stiles was still unhappy. “Why do you have to go now?”

“Because I’m sixteen, nearly seventeen. It’s time,” Peter replied. “Look, it’s for the good of the Pack. I need to know that I’m the best Left Hand that I can be – that won’t happen if I never go through the rites that are involved. And Satomi can help prepare me for those. Stiles – I will never forget you! And I’ll be one county over! We can talk on the phone, text, Skype – “

“Oh goody, another pen-pal – just what I need with Scott fucking off to Switzerland!” Looking down at Peter from his perch, he asked the question that was bugging him. “Where’s Christopher? Or have you two already had your big farewell?”

“Christopher knows how much you mean to me and wanted to ensure that you didn’t feel he was in the way while we said goodbye.”

“Humph!” Stiles could grudgingly accept that but he refused to think of what type of farewell the two of them had had. It was – icky. And not hot in the slightest.

“STILES! Get your ass down here now!”

“Fine!” In a rare show of grace, Stiles flipped himself out of the tree, landing on his feet next to Peter.

“I see you’ve been spending too much time with Derek,” Peter said, grabbing Stiles by his shoulders and pulling him into a hug. “I’m not deserting you – I promise. I just – you need some space from me to grow into yourself without my incredibly bad influence. And I need to not be quite so possessive. This will be good for us, I promise.”

“But I don’t want you to go,” Stiles muttered, wrapping his arms around Peter’s waist and pressing his face into Peter’s chest. “What if you prefer being there? Or – I don’t know – what if you need back up and I’m not there?”

“I will never prefer being away from you Stiles. And as for back up – how about I promise no particularly risky trips unless you can come with me? Will that satisfy you?” Stiles considered it for a moment and then reluctantly nodded. Realising that Peter was struggling as well, he tried to be brave.

“I’m gonna be okay. Talia wants me to check out some kid – he sounds like he needs some help. And Jackson is – kinda clingy. But it’s good. It stops me from feeling so alone.” He squeezed Peter’s waist. “Just – don’t be away for too long, okay? You never know – I might forget you!” 

Peter’s grip on him tightened and he heard him say quietly, “God, I do hope not!” but chose not to say anything. For the moment, he was just going to enjoy having Peter to himself, being wrapped in his arms, and safe from the disappointments that seemed to litter his existence at the present. Who the hell knew how long it would be before he got a hug like this again?

* * *


	13. Time Jump 2 - Stiles is 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter receives a prod that sends him back home...
> 
> * * *

“Are you ever going back?”

“Back where?” Peter acted dumb before giving a sigh and sitting up in bed. “We’ve talked about this.”

“We have, yes. And every time you’ve avoided things. Peter – “

“Christopher – “

“He still misses you.”

“And you’d know that how exactly?”

“Because unlike some people, I spend time with him,” Christopher replied, climbing out of the bed. Peter took the time to admire how time had honed Christopher’s body into a beautiful weapon. He bore scars of battles won, his strength evident in every move he made. He was gorgeous and he belonged completely to Peter. Or so he had thought. 

“Since when do you spend time with him?”

“Initially? Because he came to me wondering if I’d heard from you,” Christopher replied, pulling on his clothes. “And when that petered off, well we might have bonded a little in our disappointment. We’ve got – close. He’s a great kid – well, young man.”

“How close?” The growl beneath his voice was obvious and he could tell that Christopher was on alert. Lovers they might be, but Christopher was well aware of what Peter could do and never took his predator side for granted. 

“Close enough.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to goad me, Christopher,” Peter said, leaning back on the bed and attempting to look unbothered. He knew that it was a wasted effort – Christopher knew him far too well for that – but he made the attempt.

“How could I goad you with something you obviously care nothing for?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Perhaps the fact that you haven’t contacted him for at least six months.”

“I was busy. Budapest was such a trial,” Peter tried to excuse himself. 

“Oh, and no cell service? Admit it, Peter, you left him behind,” Christopher asserted. “Which makes him a free agent – as am I whenever I’m not here. I know for a fact you’ve made a few ‘friends’ in Satomi’s pack.”

“That’s just sex.”

“Hmm,” Christopher made the sound as he pulled on his boots and laced them up. “If you say so. Perhaps you should let Brett know that.”

“Brett knew what he was getting into.”

“Then you might want to remind him, as the last time I came to visit he tried to rip me to shreds,” Christopher said, finished with his boots and now going through his coat pockets, ensuring that he had everything. 

“He what?” Peter finally registered what Christopher had said, anger rising. “How dare he?”

“He feels he has that right – after all, he’s been your _friend_ here for quite some time, yes? Difficult to maintain emotional distance when you’ve been with someone that long,” Christopher reasoned, pulling the jacket on. 

“Do you really have to go?”

“I do. I’m meeting up with Kate on a hunt – some wendigoes terrorising somewhere or other. I stayed too long as it is,” Christopher said. “You might want to consider just how long you intend to continued this self-imposed exile. You’re an excellent Left Hand, Peter – have you thought about whether or not your Pack needs you?”

“Talia would have told me if there were problems,” Peter insisted, nevertheless thinking through his last communications with his sister. Had he missed something?

“Not if she was trying to set you free. You and I both know that Talia would put your needs first in such an instance,” Christopher said, his posture changing in subtle ways. He was leaving behind the lover that liked to bend to Peter’s whims and becoming the hunter that was thought of by many as the Argent’s biggest and best weapon. “Just think about it. When you left, you made promises – gave your word. Have you stuck to that?”

Christopher leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, stroking the side of his face and neck in an unconscious scenting gesture. “I gotta go. Stay sharp.” With those words, Christopher was gone, leaving Peter with just his thoughts.

* * *

He hadn’t kept his word. 

Those were the thoughts going through his mind as he pulled his car into the courtyard, pulling up behind a slightly bedraggled looking Jeep and a sleek Camaro. He couldn’t see Talia’s vehicle but assumed that it was in the garage. 

The house was silent, imposing in the darkness as he climbed out of his car and stood looking up at it. He could have called and let them know he was coming home, but it seemed a little hypocritical. He could hardly expect a big welcome after being away for so long – he would be lucky if half of his Pack were still speaking to him. 

He deliberately avoided thinking of one particular person. He had trained himself in his absence _not_ to consider him as anything other than Pack. It was too complicated otherwise. 

Satomi had taught him a lot. At first, he had thrown himself into the physical side of training with a group of werewolves that he didn’t know. He didn’t know their tells, their quirks, and had admittedly got his ass handed to him a few times. But over time, he learned their little tricks, figured out their weak points, and he hadn’t experienced defeat at their hands in quite some time. 

Once he had mastered that, Satomi had begun teaching him about being the Left Hand. About poisons, allies, networking – when silent assassination was the way to go, when it was time to make the mark a lesson to others. It had been – _exhilarating_. Christopher had visited frequently over the last five years – whenever his hunter training enabled him to get away from the tight leash his father kept him on. They were solid. But now that Christopher had put the thought into his head – about how much time had passed – he had found himself itching to return to his home territory. Satomi had been fine about it – had expressed her surprise that he had remained with her so long. So here he was.

He walked around to the side of the house, letting himself into the large dimly lit mudroom. The silence was almost eerie and he wondered if the Pack were out. It was a nice night – they might have gone for a run. If so, it was careless of them to leave the Den open. Anyone could have entered the house through this side entrance. He would have to have a chat to Talia about security, which was his job after all. 

Moving through the mudroom into the large hall, he had a moment to reach out with his senses before he was attacked. It came from nowhere, a silent assailant catching him unawares and driving him back. A flurry of blows and kicks and he found himself back in the mudroom, trying to defend himself. 

“Wait – “ A sharp sting to the back of his neck and the feeling in his body disappeared, his legs giving way beneath him. As he landed, his eyes transformed and out of the darkness, he caught sight of what he could only describe as a giant lizard. Beside it, a feral grin on his face, was a young man with creamy skin, dotted with moles, blue eyes flaring in his face. “ – Stiles?” A moment of recognition in eyes that were suddenly amber and confused, before a blow to his temple knocked him out cold.

* * *

”How was I meant to know?” Peter surfaced slowly, becoming aware that he couldn’t move his body at the same time that he registered people talking.

“I said _wait_!”

“You did not!”

“Okay, well I _meant_ to say wait!”

“How many times do we have to tell you to use your words?” A tall young man leaned over Peter’s prone body. “Should we take him into the living room? It’s not exactly comfortable on the mud-room floor.”

“I dunno – I think we should leave him,” Stiles replied, leaning against the door frame just within Peter’s eyesight and affecting disinterest.

“Don’t be a dick! Besides, Talia will have our hides if she comes back and finds her brother spark out on the floor!”

“Well that was partly you and your dumb tail!”

“You’ve got a dumb face!” Jackson retaliated.

“That made no sense – “

“What the hell is going on?” Peter recognised his nephew’s voice as he slowly regained all of his senses. He couldn’t move, but at least he could ‘read’ the room now. “Oh my God, I **knew** it was a bad idea to put you three on Den duty!” He was lifted into strong arms, a surprised eyebrow the only expression he could make. “Hey Uncle Peter – sorry about this! These dumbasses were on house duty and thought you were an intruder.”

As he spoke, Derek carried him into the living room and placed him carefully on the couch. Behind him came the three assailants and in the lights of the room, Peter could get a good look at every one. 

He recognised Jackson who was stood close to Derek, his expression rueful. Derek had an arm around his waist, holding him close and staking an obvious claim. That must have been what knocked him off his ass in the first instance – it would appear that Jackson had gained some control over whatever his shifted creature was. He had pulled on sweatpants but appeared comfortable standing half-naked at Derek’s side. 

Next to them was a very tall, lanky looking young man with sharp cheekbones, bright blue eyes and a generous mouth. His hair was a floppy, dark-blond mass and he waved at Peter before saying ‘Sorry. I’m Isaac – didn’t recognise you in time not to smack you over the back of the head. To be fair, you look a bit different from the family photos.”

Peter was pleased to discover that he could now move his head and neck as he nodded in response to Isaac’s statement before turning his head to face the fourth occupant of the room. 

Stiles.

Christopher hadn’t lied. Stiles had grown into a beautiful young man. He had the remnants of a summer tan so his skin was a sun-kissed colour that made his amber eyes even more striking. His hair was short and tousled, his face in the process of losing any remaining baby-fat and becoming more chiselled. His frame was lean but he had broad shoulders and a developed torso – he looked strong, calm and comfortable in his body. Long legs were encased in tight dark denim and he wore a grey Henley, a wristband with the Hale crest on it. 

“What’s your excuse, Stiles?” Derek prodded, asking the question that was on the tip of Peter’s tongue.

“I didn’t see his face – how was I meant to know it was him,” Stiles complained before looking down at his hands. “He hasn’t been here in years – we weren’t really expecting any visitors.”

“Fine – I’ll get the kanima antidote out of the kit and we’ll get Uncle Peter comfortable before Mom and the others get back. Hell, I was upstairs for five minutes – “ Derek’s voice faded as he left the room, leaving Peter with the remaining three. The tension in the room rose and Peter wondered if Stiles was going to speak to him. 

“We might as well get out of here – I’d rather not be caught by Talia when she gets back,” Jackson said, looking between Peter and Stiles. 

“Nah, I’m good. I’ve heard a lot about him – you – so I’d like to meet you properly,” replied Isaac, throwing himself in the nearest armchair. 

“Isaac – “

“What? “

“Isaac – stop being a dickhead and get out of there!” came from outside the room, and Peter was relieved to find that his nephew understood that he needed some time alone with Stiles. The lanky youth got to his feet, giving Peter one more appreciative look before fist-bumping Stiles and leaving the room, followed by Jackson. 

The silence grew tenser and tenser so Derek’s entry to the room was a relief. 

“Sorry about this Uncle Peter,” he said once again, injecting Peter in the arm, presumably with the antidote to the kanima venom. “It won’t take long to clear out of your system – Stiles and Deaton created it after one too many accidents between Jackson and Isaac. We’ll try to give you two some peace so you can say hello properly but Mom is due back with everyone else.”

Peter nodded his understanding, clearing his throat and finding that feeling was already returning to his body.

“Thank you Derek,” he croaked, then watched as his nephew left the room. Again, the tension grew, Stiles staring at his nails whilst Peter waited for the antidote to do its job. When he could once more feel his shoulders – albeit with very uncomfortable pins and needles – he decided enough was enough. “Hello Stiles.”

* * *


	14. A new maturity...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles demonstrates how he has grown over the years....
> 
> * * *

Ignoring Peter's lame attempt, Stiles decided to take control of the conversation. 

“Well, while you’re stuck there, I might as well tell you a story,” Stiles said, throwing himself onto the couch and looking over at Peter. He was still beautiful. Stiles could see how he had matured into his body – broad chest, thick neck, strong legs. He was dressed in an expensive suit, but it did little to hide the ‘predator’ beneath the surface. Perhaps because he knew that it was there.

He had only been half lying when he told Derek he hadn’t realised who it was until he saw their face. Kicking and punching to send the ‘intruder’ back into the mud-room, there had been something extra to his sense that recognised Peter. It was too late to do anything about it though – as per their constant practices, Jackson had taken advantage and struck Peter with his tail, paralysing him and sending him crashing to the ground. Isaac and his blow to the head was the coup de grace. 

He wanted to hate him – he really did. But he had grown up since Peter had left, and he could kind of understand what had happened. Only because of his friends and Pack though. 

_flashback_

Derek had – inadvertently – been the bluntest. He’d told Stiles straight out that his Uncle did **not** mess with kids in that way and that he was scared shitless that he would lose control. It had taken a few days for that to sink in. Days when he talked to Peter on Skype and tried to see if there was anything ‘off’ in the way Peter spoke to him. 

Then Jackson had taken him aside for some training – read that as kicking the shit out of each other, with Stiles using what he was learning with Deaton whilst Jackson used his kanima form. And afterwards, sweaty and exhausted, Jackson had admitted that he could tell that Peter was – connected – with Stiles. It was like an additional tether in his chest, pulling him towards the older man. 

Talia had played her role too. She’d dragged his sulking ass into the kitchen, and while they cooked for the Pack, she helped him understand that not only did Peter need some time and space away from the Pack, but that Stiles needed time to become who he was meant to be. 

“If something happens with you and Peter – or anyone else for that matter – in the future, that’s all well and good. But it will damned sure be in the future. I may not be your mother, Stiles, but I love you almost as much as I am sure she did. And I won’t let anyone hurt you. When Peter comes home, if you two want to see where this goes, all well and good. But in the meantime – concentrate on becoming who **you** want to be. Let Peter concentrate on who he wants to be, and see if you mesh when you meet up again.”

“But what if he doesn’t want me by then? What if he finds someone else?”

“Oh Stiles! He is nearly six years older than you. Do you really think he won’t be with other people while he’s away?”

“Ew! I didn’t mean like that – at least, I don’t think I did,” Stiles had replied.

“Well – good. I think.” Wiping her hands off on a tea-towel, Talia had turned to him. “But you know that Peter and Chris had a physical relationship.”

“Yeah, but that was different.”

“Why?”

“Because there would be room for me in that relationship – they could go off and do the icky adult stuff, then we could all be together afterwards,” Stiles had replied, concentrating on the pastry he was rolling out. 

“Oh.” Talia had stood watching him work, almost audibly thinking of how to phrase what she wanted to say. “Unconventional, but not unheard of. But look – how much freedom would you have in such a relationship? How would you settle things between you and Jackson? Would you have time for your friends like Isaac and Erica? Be able to compete with Lydia?”

“So what you’re saying is that while Peter’s away, I forget about him and get on with my life?”

“Not exactly. But sort of. You can’t know what the future holds, so you make the most of the present that you have. And if it is meant to be, it will be.”

“That doesn’t mean I let him off his promise to keep in touch,” Stiles asserted, giving Talia a firm look.

“And that’s exactly how it should be. But – don’t put your life on hold waiting, okay?” She had run her fingers through his hair and he’d slapped her away.

* * *

“Once upon a time, there was a complete jack-hole called Peter, who thought he might have developed feelings for one of his pack-mates. Now, Peter was normally considered to be quite an intelligent jack-hole, but on this occasion, all of his brain cells had obviously seeped out of his ears, because he did something really, really stupid. Instead of sticking around to talk to his pack-mate – who was, admittedly, much younger than him – and explaining what was going on, he decided to run instead. 

Now that might not have been so bad, but his pack-mate had already suffered quite enough abandonment in his life thank you very much. He’d lost his parents at a very young age; felt a little lost in his pack – although that was getting better; and then his best friend in the world – best friend _outside_ of the pack – was sent all the way to Switzerland. So, as you can imagine, when jack-hole decided to run, it left a giant crater where his packmate's heart used to be.”

“Stiles – “

“Ssh! Remember when you used to read me bedtime stories when I first came here? You insisted that I had to be quiet because you were imparting wisdom. Even then I knew you were talking bull, but I liked the sound of your voice so I let you get away with it!”

“I wasn’t talking bull – “

“I have more kanima venom if you can’t keep your mouth shut!” Stiles threatened and was gratified when Peter closed his mouth. “Good. Where was I?”

“Explaining what a complete and utter dickhead I was,” Peter mumbled.

“Oh yeah, right. Okay, so when jack-hole left, it was hard. Like, really hard. And the boy he left behind had to learn his place in the pack all over again, without the jack-hole there to protect him, teach him, show him. But it turned out for the best because it meant that he discovered that his pack-mates loved him – for himself and for what he brought to the pack.”

“That’s – “

“And the boy discovered that despite being unable to shift into a wolf the way all of his pack-mates did, he had other talents. He had speed, healing but he also had something that that inscrutable bastard, Deaton, keeps calling a spark. Which means unlike some wolves, the boy can handle mountain ash and wolfsbane just fine thank you very much. Which makes him invaluable.” Stiles looked at Peter to see how he was taking the news but couldn’t read his face. “And the boy’s alpha recognised something in him and agreed that he could undergo Left Hand training, which meant that once he turned fifteen, he was fully in charge of Pack security. Wards, runes, traps – you name it, the boy used all of them in order to keep his Pack safe.”

“The wards I felt when I drove in – that was you?” Peter asked incredulously.

“That was. Let me finish the story,” Stiles said, sitting up. “I’d love to hear why you went radio silent for the last six months – I don’t think it was entirely about you being a coward. When you’re ready because I feel like there’s a story that I haven’t been privy to. Because if it was just you being a dick, Talia would have told me. But instead she defended you whenever I got really angry. So, there’s that.”

“There are very few people who know what really happened.”

“But you’ll tell me – won’t you?”

“Of course. I never intended to keep it a secret from you,” Peter confirmed.

“Okay. Cool. Well, I guess the rest of the story goes that the boy grew up quite a bit in the time that the jack-hole was away – discovered that he likes boys just a little bit more than he likes girls; that he didn’t have to turn into a wolf to be useful to his pack; that Christopher Argent is not quite he dickhead he might have been previously painted. And finally, he learned that he has a wide streak that demands revenge or recompense.”

“Oh really?” Peter shifted on the couch, and Stiles realised the kanima venom was wearing off. 

“Really. I might understand why you stayed away for so long – the law is at least one of the reasons – but you have a lot to make up to me. And if you think you’re going to sweep in here and not have to put in some effort to make it up to me and the rest of your pack-mates, you are sadly mistaken.” He got to his feet and moved over to Peter, dropping into a crouch so that they were eye to eye. “Chris is taking me to a movie this weekend – it was arranged ages ago – but we _might_ allow you to tag along if you’re good. If you want us – and notice I said _us_ because I think I might have done a hell of a lot more reading up about this than you have and understand a few things – then you’re going to have to work for us. We deserve the works, Peter – wining, dining, declarations of love and devotion.”

“I think that could be arranged. Stiles – I am sorry for the hurt I’ve caused you. I did a lot of growing up, learned a lot about myself, but was – scared to come back in case you didn’t want me. Its one thing to know you have a strong connection to a boy – something entirely different to feel the same connection to someone who’s nearly of legal age.”

“I get it. I didn’t – for the longest time, I really did try my hardest to hate you – but I understand. Doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt though.” Stiles cocked his head, hearing the familiar sound of a car engine. “That’s Talia. I think I’ll leave you two to have a joyous reunion – you’ll enjoy helpless whilst Cora and Laura fawn all over you!” he said with an evil grin. 

“Shit!”

“Yeah – I almost wish I could record it for posterity.” He stared into Peter’s face. “You know, I thought baby!Stiles had exaggerated how beautiful your eyes were, but I actually think he underestimated.”

“Oh, sweetheart – “

“Can I kiss you? Nothing major, just – “

“Hell yes!” Peter said and before he could lose his nerve entirely, Stiles leaned forward and pressed his lips to Peter’s. Their eyes remained open and they stared at each other as Stiles slowly opened his mouth and Peter followed suit. Stiles wasn’t a complete novice at kissing, but he wasn’t an expert either, so settled for dragging their lips against each other, tasting each other without going too far. Peter let him control the kiss, responding but not trying to take over. 

Slightly out of breath, Stiles pulled back and got to his feet. 

“I might need help to practice that – get it perfect,” he said. 

“Anytime sweetheart,” Peter replied, his voice husky. The sounds of people reaching the front door reached them both, and with a cheeky salute, Stiles headed out of the room. 

“Enjoy your time with the girls – they have missed you SO much so I would imagine they’ll want to hear ALL about everything!” He hid by the door frame, watching as Talia entered the room and screamed out an ecstatic ‘PETER!’ as she rushed to greet her brother. 

He had been telling Peter the truth. He understood but he was still hurt. Peter would have some making up to do, but Stiles was prepared to give him a chance. 

And maybe Peter could help him unravel just what was going on with David…

* * *


	15. The first rule of fight club....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you think I need to add any tags - warning for canon-compliant behaviour being discussed/discovered. If you want to know more, check the notes at the end of the chapter.
> 
> * * *

“It’s good to have you back,” Talia said, watching as Peter ate hungrily. “It goes without saying that I wasn’t the only one to miss you.”

“Yes – I saw Derek earlier.”

“Very funny.” She sat down opposite him, cradling a mug of coffee. “So – are you going to tell me what happened? I mean, the full story – not the expurgated one you’ve given me previously. The girls have gone to bed, you’ve recovered from your dose of kanima venom – no more excuses, Peter.”

“Talia – “

“Peter. I can make it an alpha command if that would help.” She traced lines absently on the table, before taking a deep breath. “You weren’t the one who had to console him when he didn’t hear from you – didn’t have to hear him crying as quietly as he could at night because during the day he was so damned determined to be ‘strong’. I think he has the right to know the truth.”

“I know – and I’ve already promised him that I’ll tell him the truth. It’s just – can’t I enjoy being home for a little while before I have to go into all of that?”

“No. You can’t. Because Stiles is our Left Hand – alongside you, if you’re home for good. And he needs to know what’s been happening. I’ve heard rumblings but it can be difficult to tell the truth from the exaggerations – and, as you know, there have been very few people who have seen it with their own eyes and made it home to tell the tale.” 

Peter sighed before putting down his cutlery and pushing his plate away. He had known the conversation was coming – it was one of the main reasons for returning home. But he had allowed himself the luxury of thinking he could have one night to enjoy being back before all of this had to be brought up. But Talia was right – she needed to know and so did Stiles.

“Fine – call him down then. Let’s get this over and done with.” He reached for his sister’s mug of coffee, jumping slightly when a noise behind him alerted him to another presence. “Listening at doors, Stiles?”

“Surely you remember the things you taught me when you were here? Some of the best conversations happen when people don’t realise you’re there,” Stiles replied, taking a seat next to Peter. 

“Before I say anything, I need you both to know that this has _nothing_ to do with Christopher. He has zero knowledge of what his family are doing and, although I know he will have to be told eventually, I don’t think it needs to happen – yet.”

“Fair enough,” Talia said and Stiles nodded. Taking another gulp of coffee, Peter squared his shoulders and prepared himself. This was not a pretty tale to tell.

“About a year ago, there was some talk amongst the younger members of Satomi’s pack – one of the betas in a neighbouring pack had got himself a human girlfriend. Things appeared to be getting serious – he was considering asking his alpha to offer her the bite. Apparently, she was very interested in the workings of the Pack – wanted to know how many members there were, what precautions were taken to keep them safe, what the local hunters were like. He was young – wasn’t using the right head to do his thinking.”

“Why do I get the feeling I know where this is going?” said Stiles.

“The girlfriend was a hunter – one of the extremist hunters. She gathered as much intel as she could from him, waited until the pack were exhausted after gathering to celebrate the Blood Moon, then surrounded their den with mountain ash and burned the place down. **All** of their exits were blocked and the entire pack was decimated.”

“Jesus!” Talia looked shocked, but Stiles just nodded. 

“Of course, once Satomi heard about this, she instigated tighter security – insisted on vetting any partners, that sort of thing. We hoped that it was an isolated incident, but she requested that I investigate. I thought I was careful – I _was_ careful.”

“So what happened?” Talia asked.

“It would appear that some of my contacts are either less than loyal or caved under pressure. I was captured.”

“Why didn’t they kill you?” Stiles’ tone was even but Peter could tell by his scent that he was already distressed.

“Because they wanted to run experiments. What sort of pain could a werewolf withstand; sensitivity to various strains of wolfsbane; healing properties and how they were affected by environmental factors.” Peter looked down into the mug of coffee, avoiding the sympathy on his sister’s face. “And as a side-line venture, the guards ran a sort of supernatural fight club. It wasn’t just werewolves they were experimenting on. I – saw wendigoes, coyotes – they had a kanima although it wasn’t used during the fights. I know there were others, but we were kept quite segregated.”

“Fuck,” Stiles breathed out almost silently, his hand coming to rest on Peter’s thigh beneath the table. 

“It was difficult to get people to band together. No one wanted to befriend someone they might have to fight – or kill – the next day. But I managed to build up some trust, gather like-minded individuals together and we began to watch and plan. Took notes of which guards were becoming lax; routines; who could be trusted and who couldn’t.” Peter paused to drink more coffee, realising that telling the story was affecting him more than he had expected. He had managed to divorce himself from the events – almost as if they had happened to someone else – but being back with his Alpha, with Stiles, it brought it home to him strongly that he might never have had this again. “It was a delicate balance – I wanted to know who was behind the experiments, who was bankrolling the operation, but I also needed to take advantage of any opportunity I spotted to escape.

They were actually quite disciplined – it was down to a guard who had begun to fraternise with one of the female werewolves that things came to a head. He would take her out of the containment cells regularly so that they could spend time together privately. I don’t believe it was coercion – she seemed willing enough, and he treated her relatively well – “

“Peter – “

“I’m not trying to pretend it was the romance of the century, but _she_ came to us with the information – we didn’t ask her to do anything.” He looked up at his sister, needing her to know he hadn’t sunk that low. “I swear, I didn’t pressure her or – “

“I know you wouldn’t! I know you, brother – I know you deeper than skin. You are not that person.” He nodded, grateful that she believed him – it removed a little of his guilt. 

“She came to us – her name was Tracy – and told us that there was something big coming. The big bosses were attending the next set of fights and the guards were determined to put on a good show. They fed us better, tended to wounds – the experiments halted. It gave us a chance to recover, build up our strength. 

We were told the next fights were to be to the death – no mercy given. Anyone refusing to fight would face the kanima. We realised that if we didn’t do something, our numbers would dwindle even further – that this was going to have to be the time to do it.”

“So what happened?” 

“The first few fights went ahead as scheduled – were-coyotes, luckily enough not those amongst our group.” He stopped, horrified by what he had said. “I don’t mean luckily – “

“We understand what you mean, Peter,” Stiles said, stroking his hand up and down Peter’s leg. Peter grabbed onto his hand, entwining their fingers as the memories flooded his mind. 

“We launched a coordinated attack. When they came for the werewolves, we ready. Those who could fully shift did so, those who couldn’t took the front so that we couldn’t be seen. It actually went – very well. We took out the first set of guards almost silently so that they were unable to raise the alarm. The keys were where Tracy had said they would be. We managed to release a large number of the captives – the ones it was safe to release anyway. 

By the time the guards in the arena realised what was happening, we were already almost out of the complex. I took a chance – hid close to the complex and waited to see what would happen. They hustled the bosses out – armoured limousines for the pretentious bastards.”

“So you saw them?”

“Yes. Gerard Argent was the first one I recognised, although he wasn’t the only one. I also saw his daughter – Kate.”

“Kate?” Stiles asked in shock.

“Yes – her and an associate. A red-headed woman. I think she was called Victoria – hard-faced bitch.”

“So where were you being kept?”

“About fifty miles away – it took us a while to make it back to Satomi’s. As people reached their own territories, they peeled off. Some of them had no pack to return to so came with me.”

“Jesus!”

“How long did it take you to recover?”

“Ah, well, unfortunately, I suffered a few injuries that were unwilling to heal. Slightly higher concentration of wolfsbane, some silver poisoning.”

“Peter – don’t downplay it,” Talia said.

“I almost lost my right leg – some burns down the right side of my body. It took me about three months to fully heal.”

“So they had you for – “

“Three months. I was there for three months.” He pushed the empty mug away. “On the full moon, they would let some of the wolves out, observe how they reacted to it. Compared it to wolves that they had locked up with no access to the outside at all.”

“No access – “

“Some of the ones we left behind – they had been driven half-insane. They were – stuck – in their beta shift, had given in to their baser natures, given up on being human at all. Some of them were grotesquely twisted by experiments – it was – “

“Inhumane,” Stiles said quietly. 

“Yes. They called us monsters, laughed at us and said we were nothing but beasts, less than human, but they – the ones who enjoyed what they were doing, took part in the experiments – they were the ones who were less than human,” Peter replied bitterly.

“Why the hell didn’t you let me come to you?” Stiles demanded. 

“Partly because I wasn’t sure I _was_ going to recover from my wounds and I didn’t want you to see that. And – well, leave a man some pride, Stiles. I had nightmares, PTSD if you will – I was a mess. I didn’t want you to see me like that for the first time in so many years,” Peter replied. 

“Satomi told me that you didn’t want any of us to visit – that you needed space and time. But Peter – I should have been there – as your Alpha – “

“NO! I needed to get through this on my own! And you needed to be here. We warned you as best we could – they were far enough away that it shouldn’t have affected Beacon Hills at all. I needed to know you were safe, that our pack was safe.” He reached across the table and grabbed his sister’s hand, shocked to see tears in his sister’s eyes. She hadn’t even cried when their parents were taken from them. “And I didn’t want to lead them to you – if they had managed to track me down – “

“You didn’t have the right to make that choice for me,” Stiles said.

“Stiles – you’re 16 years old and we haven’t – there isn’t – “

“If you try to say there’s nothing between us, I swear I’ll – “

“I wasn’t going to say that! I was just going to say there wasn’t anything formal between us – there still isn’t! We need to talk, get to know each other properly! I couldn’t drag you into that.”

“Then why have you come back if that’s how you feel?” Peter mourned the loss of Stiles’ hand as it was ripped away from his leg, but remained resolute. 

“Because the Argents – and the rest of the hunters involved in that entire enterprise – need to replenish their stocks of fighters. And they’ve turned their attention to Beacon Hills,” he said plainly.

“How do you know this?”

“Tracy didn’t make it out when we escaped. She was – punished – for her perceived role and didn’t survive. The hunter she had been involved with found a way to contact me – he imagined himself in love with her, had planned to buy her ‘contract’ and get her out of there.”

“Jesus – how fucking delusional do you have to be?” Stiles muttered under his breath. 

“Regardless – he was unhappy with what was done to her – has decided he doesn’t have the stomach for it any more. Before he left, he gathered as much intel as he could and forwarded it to us. We’ve done some checking – made sure it wasn’t a trap. As far as we can tell, the information he provided is solid.”

“So we fortify – work on the security measures around the den, speak to the pack and – “ Stiles began.

“No, you don’t understand. What brought me home so abruptly is finding out that they have already infiltrated Beacon Hills. When Kate failed in her attempts to entice Derek – when Jackson was turned and they solidified their relationship, she turned her attention elsewhere.”

“Peter, what are you saying?” Talia asked, her face a grimace of horror.

“Oh fuck!” Stiles exclaimed.

“Yes. We need to talk to David – and we need to do it quickly.”

“You think – “ Stiles began.

“He’s only just turned fifteen!” Talia cried out.

“I know. I’m sorry – if I had realised – “

“There’s no way you could have realised what was going on. David’s been acting very secretively for some time – I knew it, but it never occurred to me it could be something like this. And I was the one who noticed Kate’s behaviour towards Derek,” Stiles said, biting his lip.

Talia jumped up from the table, her eyes flaring ruby-red, her face half-transformed. 

“I’m going to rip out her throat – with my teeth!”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS FOR CHAPTER:  
> * Kate Argent is 'grooming' David Hale to get information out of him about the Pack and it's security. Although David knows she's a hunter, because of Peter's relationship with Christopher, he doesn't realise that she's anti-supernatural  
> * Discussion of a relationship between a guard and a prisoner  
> * Enforced fight club - no details given, but it is discussed  
> * Talk of torture, experimentation but no details


	16. David

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SlashtheDrabble Prompt #590 Courage

Running in his wolf form was so freeing. The scents of the Preserve, the sounds of animals and birds, the wind through the trees, the emergence of dawn. All so incredibly beautiful. He was barely out of breath when he reached the tree-house – they’d built it far away from the main Den because they’d wanted to get away from the family. No one really came here any more – Derek was too busy with Jackson and school; Stiles was working with Deaton and doing ‘Left Hand’ business; Cora and Laura had never been allowed – this was meant to be the boy’s sanctuary away from the girls. Of course, they had their own sanctuary which the boys had tried in vain to invade on numerous occasions – they’d stopped when the girls had got particularly vicious with their deterrents.

So that made this place David’s. He transformed and climbed the tree easily, putting on the spare clothes he left there. Shoving his hand through his hair would have to do because he’d neglected to put a comb or hair product up there, but the shard of mirrored glass reassured him that he didn’t look too bad. 

Jumping from the tree, he jogged for fifteen minutes until he reached the meeting place, relieved that he hadn’t missed her. He was always slightly afraid that she wouldn’t turn up, that she would decide that a 15 year old was beneath her. But there she was in a nondescript four door sedan, smiling at him from where she was leaning against the passenger door. He slowed to a walk, grinning back at her.

“Well this is the way I like to start my day,” she said as he walked into her welcoming arms.

“Good morning,” he replied, kissing her cheek – she didn’t like it when he ruined her lip-gloss. 

“I brought a friend to meet you,” she said, her tone cheery and he tried to hold back his disappointment. He had been hoping for some time alone with her – there was a lot he needed to get off of his chest. “Come on out,” she called and a red-headed girl with piercing blue eyes stepped out of the car. “David – meet Victoria. Victoria – this is David.”

* * *

Peter stirred, twisting beneath the covers. The door to his bedroom opened slowly and he sat up – it took him a moment to remember that he was home, that he was safe.

The dawn light peeking through the curtains gave him a clear view as he watched Stiles walk quietly into the room, closing the door quietly. He turned to the bed, coming to a halt when he realised that Peter was awake and watching him. 

“Run out of courage?” Peter asked, his voice husky with sleep.

“No – just enjoying the view,” Stiles replied cheekily. “Kinda needed the reassurance that you really were back and in one piece to be honest.”

Throwing back the covers, Peter shifted over to make space. 

“Just sleeping,” he cautioned as Stiles climbed in.

“This time.”

* * *


	17. A little bit of Chris...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets to see Stiles in action as Left Hand of the Hale Pack
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had **zero** sleep and am feeling all sorts of cranky, so here - have a load of gratuitous violence!
> 
> Warning: sleazy Kate Argent (canon-compliant), canon levels of violence.
> 
> * * *

Something was going on and it was being deliberately hidden from him.

Chris was used to his father sending him off whenever he had the chance – he knew for a fact that his recent trip to Japan had been a test and if he hadn’t survived, Gerard wouldn’t have mourned his death. It had been – frightening. He had never experienced a dark kitsune before – and hoped never to again – but he had survived, and now had a member of the Yakuza owing him a favour. Him – not his father, not the Argent family.

Gerard was pushing Chris to ‘settle down’. He refused to acknowledge that Chris was in a relationship with Peter Hale, even though Chris had never hidden it. The addition of Stiles – if that was where things were heading – would only exacerbate the problem. Chris had been preparing for this since he and Peter had begun sleeping together. Sooner or later, his father was going to make him choose, and Chris knew that Gerard would **not** be happy with where Chris’s loyalties lay.

Victoria Prescott – the girl his father wanted him to settle down with – had come to visit. Fortunately, she seemed content to spend time with Kate, which meant that Chris didn’t have to put up with his father’s ham-fisted attempts to play match-maker. She seemed nice enough – on the surface – but there was something cold and calculating about her. He didn’t fully trust her – especially if his father approved of her.

And then there was Kate.

His sister didn’t follow the code implemented by their Mother. The family crest included the saying ‘We hunt that which hunts us’, something Chris lived by. But Kate and Gerard – they seemed to think that if someone wasn’t fully human, they were not entitled to any consideration – they were both of the opinion that the only good werewolf was a dead werewolf.

He had tried doing some digging, pretending interest in his father’s rambling rants about werewolves, but Gerard had played his cards close to his chest, not letting Chris in on anything major. But there was something…

An investigation into the family funds had led him to a few dead-ends: a burnt-out compound fifty miles away, full of cages and a large arena, as well as what looked like a laboratory; a few stockpiles of weapons. He hesitated to let his mind travel to what his father might have been doing owning such a place.

In the years since Peter went to stay with Satomi, Chris had grown into himself. He was an accomplished hunter, respected by his peers, confident in his abilities. But when it came to romance – there, he was lacking. There had been no need for romantic gestures when it came to Peter – their relationship had progressed smoothly from the very first sleepover, with Peter leading the way.

Stiles was a different matter. His age was a huge factor – Chris had no interest in manipulating or grooming a sixteen-year-old boy. But Stiles was no ordinary boy. With Peter away, he had slowly assumed the mantle of Pack Left Hand, creating his own network of contacts; working with Deaton on his inner spark – his first voluntary contact with Chris had come as a surprise.

At the age of thirteen, Stiles had asked Chris to assist him in a hunt – a rogue omega roaming a little too close to Beacon Hills. At least Chris hadn’t made the mistake of dismissing him as a child – he had listened to Stiles’ plan, made a few amendments, then provided back-up. Of course, things hadn’t gone completely smoothly, but the omega had been dispatched and the beginnings of a relationship completely separate from Peter began to emerge.

At first, Stiles had treated him like a consultant – asking his advice on security issues; how to handle negotiations; things that could be allowed to slide and things that couldn’t. But slowly, they had begun to spend time together outside of hunting – trips to the cinema, bowling – everyday activities that neither of them had ever experienced. Nothing untoward had happened between them, but Chris was very aware of the fact that Stiles was growing into an extremely attractive young man, and he knew the attraction was mutual.

When Peter disappeared off the radar completely for six months, Chris had been concerned, but he was used to Peter going off to do missions for Satomi. Usually, he remained in contact, but there were occasions when that wasn’t possible. Chris understood and accepted it. He had seen how hard it was on Stiles and had done his best to keep the boy distracted. Which in turn, had helped their relationship to grow. 

They had had frank discussions about Peter: about the fact that he was ‘seeing’ other people and living a full life. When he had originally gone to stay with Satomi, Chris knew he had called and texted Stiles constantly. That had dwindled as they both lived their lives – Peter had been reluctant to visit Beacon Hills, so he and Chris saw each other when they could, and accepted that the time wasn’t right for anything more. 

Chris had accepted it matter of factly: they were often apart for months at a time and he couldn’t – and wouldn’t – expect Peter to live like a monk. They didn’t have that kind of relationship – not yet. But the day was coming when they would either have to commit to each other – and Stiles – or go their separate ways. 

Stiles had maintained a prosaic attitude towards the situation – he accepted that he was too young by society’s standards to be in a full-on relationship, although there were occasions when he went off into rants about how his heterosexual friends were allowed to get up to whatever they wanted to, but because he was bisexual and his potential partner(s) were male, he was held to a different standard. It had been an amazing insight into how his mind worked – his arguments were sound, well thought out and made a lot of sense. Nevertheless, the line was drawn – there would be nothing physical until Stiles was at least seventeen. 

Sometimes his seventeenth birthday seemed a long way away, but Chris definitely did not want to face Talia Hale if he overstepped. No man was that brave.

But now Peter was back and it seemed as though the three of them were on the cusp of some life-changing decisions. Chris had spent a chunk of time ensuring that the money he had been squirrelling away was safe from his father’s eyes; gathering evidence of Gerard’s less than legal activities to use as blackmail material if his father refused to leave them alone. He was ready for this change – more than ready.

But first – he needed to find out what this secret was. And following Kate and Victoria when they snuck out of the house at dawn might well prove to be the best way to discover just what was going on.

* * *

”We can’t take the whole pack – we don’t know what we’re getting into,” Stiles said, packing various things into his pockets. Peter had no idea what half of them were – he was still shocked by the size of Stiles’ work-room. When Talia had told him that during his time away, Stiles had been working with Deaton to be able to use his Spark for the good of the Pack, she hadn’t made a big thing of it. But Peter could see now that Deaton had been training Stiles in magic that Peter had only vaguely heard of. The talismans Stiles was packing into his pockets – some of them verged on dark. 

“You don’t think we should go in full throttle?”

“We don’t even know if she’s doing anything to him – for all we know, she could still be in the seduction phase. No – just the two of us, scout out the area, gather intel. If David’s in danger – “

“If David’s in danger, then all bets are off,” Peter stated calmly. 

“Agreed.”

“One question,” Peter said. 

“Yeah?” Stiles was heading towards the door, intent on leaving as quickly as possible. From the time they had been woken by Talia saying that David wasn’t in his room, Stiles had been laser-sharp in his focus. There hadn’t been time to talk about the night before and what it might mean; no time to luxuriate in finally having Stiles in his arms. Instead, he was facing the Left Hand of the Hale Pack. And although Stiles might only be sixteen, he looked every inch the formidable opponent such a position demanded.

“How do you intend to find him?”

“Oh that’s easy – magic,” Stiles said with a smirk and shaking his head, Peter followed him out of the workroom.

* * *

”David – sweet, sweet David – I must admit, you’ve been a bit of a disappointment,” Kate said and David lifted his head to glare at her. 

“I can only apologise – if I’d known you were a complete psychopath, maybe I would have done things a little differently,” he replied, shouting out in pain as she turned up the electricity. He couldn’t believe he was in this position. After getting into the back seat of the car, Victoria had turned around from where she was sat in the passenger seat and smiled at him before blowing powder into his face. Things were a blur after that, although he recognised the scent of wolfs-bane before he passed out. 

By the time he came back to himself, he was handcuffed to a chain-link fence, electrodes strapped to his body, with Victoria and Kate gloating in front of him. 

“Tsk tsk, don’t get snippy!” Kate said, turning the power down enough that he could breathe. “I wonder if you realise that you were my second choice? I originally intended to seduce Derek – I mean, he’s like the original and you’re a barely decent copy really,” she said, taunting him with things he had said to her in moments of intimacy. It hurt – he had trusted her, told her of his insecurities, his fear of not living up to his big brother, and now she was using it against him. “He has grown up to be quite the man – all of those muscles, and those eyes of his. Have you seen him, Victoria?”

“He’s not my type – I could never get past the fact that he’s basically an animal,” Victoria said in a cold voice. “Can we get on with this? Your father is waiting and I would like to get this over with as soon as possible.”

Kate pouted. “Oh come on, Vic – live a little! Daddy knows enough already to put most of the plan in motion – this is just a little fact checking really. Making sure that the things my pet here let slip – security around the little den, things like that – are in fact correct.”

“What are you planning on doing?” David panted, fear like ice in his veins. 

“What should happen to all of you mutts,” Victoria said. “We’re going to put the lot of you down and make Beacon Hills safe for decent human beings,” she spat out. 

“What – what do you mean?”

“I did tell you he was slow on the uptake. Shall I spell it out for you, Davey?” Kate said, using the nickname she had given him. “We’re going to – “

“Don’t!” shouted Victoria. “Villainess monologuing is _not_ the way to go. Now – do I need to take control of this interrogation or are you going to get on with it? We get the answers we need and we put this one down – simple as. Yes?”

“Fine, be like that,” Kate said sulkily. She came to stand in front of David, placing her hands on his shoulders and sliding them down his chest. He hated the fact that his body reacted to her, reacted to her touch. David closed his eyes, refusing to meet the gloating look in her eyes as she ran her fingernails over his stomach muscles. “Mind you, there’s a lot to be said for teenage stamina. You didn’t _always_ disappoint, darling. I’ll almost miss our little rendezvouses.”

Opening his eyes, David glared down at her before turning to Victoria. 

“For fuck’s sake, will you get this bitch off of me? Get on with your torture – or whatever it is you’re planning on doing – just, she makes my skin crawl and I would really appreciate it if you would get her to take her skanky hands off me!” 

“Can I say just how much I wholeheartedly support that statement? I knew you were a nasty piece of work, Kate, but I never thought you’d sink this low.” Stiles’ voice came from the doorway and David looked up, stunned to see his ‘brother’ standing there. Before Stiles had finished speaking, Victoria had snatched up a syringe and came to stand next to David, holding the needle against his arm.

“Come any closer and this goes into his system. I somehow doubt you have the antidote close enough to save his life,” Victoria threatened.

“Oh look, it’s the little orphan boy,” Kate taunted, turning away from David and taking a step towards Stiles. “Do you really think I’m scared of a little boy? I could eat you up for breakfast and still be hungry!”

“Eww with a side order of barf – no thanks! You really can’t seem to help yourself with the inappropriate comments – I’d wonder if it was childhood trauma being raised by that complete asshole you call a father, but honestly, I don’t care,” Stiles replied with a sneer. “And that’s close enough thanks – I don’t know where you’ve been and I’d rather not have to have a multitude of shots,” Stiles snarked, stepping further into the room. He was holding his baseball bat in his hand, spinning it in intricate circles as he checked out his surroundings. 

“So, we seem to be at a bit of a stand-off,” Kate said, but David could see that she was reaching for the gun she had tucked into the waistband of her jeans at her back. 

“Stiles – “

“Not now, David – you and I will have plenty of time to have a little chat later,” Stiles replied, not taking his eyes off of Kate. 

“But – “ Stiles’ eyes glowed blue as he turned to glare at David.

“I said not NOW!” As Stiles shouted the final word, several things happened at once. A huge black wolf raced into the room, heading straight for Victoria. Before she had the chance to jab David with the needle, it had knocked her to the floor, jaws aiming for her throat. 

Kate pulled her gun and took a shot at Stiles, but he had already moved, his bat swinging and catching her in the face with a loud ‘THWAP’ sound that sent her staggering backwards. 

Christopher Argent appeared as if from nowhere and headed straight for David, grabbing the keys from the table full of torture implements and undoing the handcuffs efficiently. 

“Can you walk?”

“Yeah – yeah! They did a lot of talking and not a lot of torture,” David replied, wincing as Chris pulled his arm over his shoulder and began to help David out of the room. He could see that Peter was snapping and growling at Victoria, who had somehow regained her feet and was trying to hold him off with an expertly wielded knife. Stiles and Kate were grappling on the floor, the baseball bat just out of his reach as she fought viciously to escape his hold. “Wait – “

“My role is to get you the hell out of here – do you want to explain to Stiles why we went against his plan?” Chris said, tugging David insistently towards the door. Ignoring Chris’s words, David stumbled close enough to kick the baseball bat towards Stiles who grabbed it immediately and pushed it against Kate’s throat, holding her to the ground. 

A glance showed that although Victoria had managed to wound Peter – the blood was matting on his coat – he had taken her down once more, massive jaws snapping shut as he ripped her throat out. Blood spurted like a geyser as the life left her cold blue eyes and she was left staring sightlessly at the ceiling. 

“Jesus – “

“Come on, David,” Chris urged.

“Your sister – “

“She’s no sister of mine after what she’s done – you don’t need to see this,” Chris asserted, finally managing to pull David out of the room. With his enhanced hearing, David heard Stiles speaking savagely to Kate.

“This is for what you did to my brother – and to **my** Peter you psychotic bitch!” There was a sound similar to a melon being smashed into the ground and then an eerie silence. 

David didn’t need to be in the room to know what had happened – he’d seen Stiles practice that move time and time again, using the baseball bat to drive through any obstacle and into the ground with brute strength enhanced by his spark abilities. Christopher was right – he didn’t need to see it.

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

Transforming back to his human form, Peter stood and turned to see Stiles stave in Kate Argent’s head. The boy’s eyes were gleaming blue, his expression feral as he drove the baseball bat down with supernatural force, smashing through her skull and obliterating her face. 

Stiles looked up, breathing heavily and catching sight of Peter watching him. He got to his feet and stepped forward – Peter was already moving to meet him, grabbing him up into his arms and smashing their mouths together. This was not exactly the height of romance, the two of them blood splattered, dead bodies at their feet, but somehow it was fitting.

He couldn’t get enough of the way Stiles tasted, of how he felt in his arms. Stiles’ hands were gripping his hair, his kiss slightly inexperienced but passionate. He cupped his face, tilting his head to a better angle, and took over the kiss. He stroked his tongue in and out of Stiles’ mouth, hands sliding down his back and pulling him closer, enjoying the whimpers and groans of enjoyment the boy was uttering. 

“Peter – “ With a nimble jump, Stiles climbed Peter’s body so that his legs were wrapped around Peter’s waist, rolling his hips in a manner that had Peter staggering across the room and bumping them into the chain link fence. 

“David’s in your car and – “ Chris’s voice finally made Peter tear his mouth away from Stiles, and he stared at his other partner across the dingy room. “Jesus!”

“Come here,” Peter growled, pleased when Stiles reached out his hand to encourage Chris to come to them. 

“This isn’t the time – “ Chris protested weakly, even as he walked across the room and took Stiles’ hand. 

“Just one kiss – “ Stiles said throatily, leaning forward and almost chastely kissing Chris on the mouth.

“You’re such a little shit,” Chris muttered before he took over the kiss, mouth slanting open over Stiles’ and driving his tongue into his mouth. Peter panted as he watched the two of them kissing, hands gripping Stiles’ ass to keep him in place as he ground himself against Peter’s stomach. Chris pulled away from the kiss and looked at Peter, his pupils blown wide with arousal. He stepped closer, crushing Stiles between them as he took Peter’s mouth. Peter could feel Stiles’ eyes on them as they kissed, his hands stroking Peter’s cheek before sliding down his neck to his chest.

The kiss ended and he took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

“We need to get David home – Talia must be going insane,” he said in a low voice. 

“Yeah,” Stiles said.

“And then we need to talk – you can explain to me how it was just a fortuitous accident that I turned up here at the same time as you, and how you knew what was going on but didn’t tell me,” Christopher said. Despite the arousal clear on his face, Peter could tell he was angry. 

“Very well,” Peter replied. Stiles lowered his feet to the ground and the two of them stepped back until they were facing Peter. He wanted to object but knew that now wasn’t the time for things to get physical.

“And we **definitely** need to talk about your tendency to think you know the best way of doing things when, to be completely and utterly frank Peter, your judgement sucks serious ass,” Stiles said. His cheeks were flushed, his lips swollen, but he was in complete control.

“I – “

“The decisions you’ve made – on my behalf, and no doubt on Chris’s behalf – show less than stellar thinking. If things are going to work out – if we are going to do this – you need to learn to communicate,” Stiles stated firmly. 

“I second that,” Chris said, his arm sliding around Stiles’ waist.

“Are you ganging up on me?” Peter questioned, not sure how he felt about the situation. 

“Yeah, we are,” replied Stiles. “You’ve fucked up so many different ways, it’s a wonder Chris and I are even prepared to _talk_ to you! I’m sixteen and even I can tell you’ve made some dumbass moves. So – we get David home – Chris, you’re coming with us. You’re not going back there.” Chris nodded his acceptance. “And once we’ve fortified our security and talked to David, found out what he may have accidentally told Kate – _then_ we’re gonna have a frank and open discussion. Fair?”

“More than fair,” Chris stated, looking at Peter.

“And if I don’t agree?”

“I was asking Chris if he thought it was fair – you don’t get a say. We voted, you lost – you don’t get to make decisions for a while until we get your head firmly out of your ass,” Stiles retorted. “Change back – easier to transport the four of us if you’re in wolf form. Are you hurt in any way?”

“She caught me with her knife but it wasn’t coated with anything otherwise I would have felt the effects by now. Very well, sweetheart, I’ll do as I’m told. But don’t be thinking it’s _always_ going to be like this,” Peter ceded. “Let’s go home.”

* * *

”He’s sleeping. Deaton treated his wounds and he told me a little bit about what’s been going on, things he discussed with Kate. We may need to take action against Gerard – there’s something already put into action but David doesn’t know quite what,” Talia reported, looking at the three men sat together in the kitchen. Peter looked more relaxed than she could recall ever seeing him and there was a unity amongst the three of them that was palpable. 

“Deaton arranged for safe disposal of the bodies?” Peter asked and Talia nodded. 

“They won’t be found although we can expect questions. Sheriff Parrish isn’t a push-over, but I should be able to handle that.”

“Good.” 

“Did she suffer?” 

“Oh hell yes,” Stiles replied, the grim relish in his voice making Talia feel better about not being the one to handle Kate personally.

“Thank you.”

* * *


	19. Bloody Vengeance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard Argent and the Prescotts want vengeance...
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Canon level violence and gore. Character death.
> 
> * * *

Victoria’s family wanted vengeance, which was their right. Gerard was fuming, unable to believe that he had been so completely and utterly let down by his children. He had been on the verge of writing Chris off – the boy was a weakling, prone to thinking that the animals had rights, but Kate? Kate had all of the makings of an excellent hunter. She and Victoria had bitten off more than they could chew, but how had they failed so utterly?

Hamilton Prescott came up to him, florid face a mask of rage.

“You were meant to be supervising them! How could something like this have happened?” Putting on his calmest face, Gerard took a drink.

“They were obviously ambushed – there’s no other explanation. This was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission – get the final bits of information from their informant – “

“Informant? Argent – they were torturing a werewolf! Where would Victoria have got such ideas?” Hamilton blustered. “My family adhere to a strict code – “

“As do the Argents. Do not forget who you are speaking to, Hamilton. Now, I will allow you a small amount of emotion as you have lost a daughter, but don’t mistake that for weakness.” He watched with satisfaction as Hamilton deflated. “We had intel that said the wolves in question were acting outside of the code. Kate and Victoria were merely doing their civic duty in finding out the truth of these allegations and then we would have presented our findings and decided what to do.”

“What do you mean – what to do?” Hamilton’s wife, Priscilla, arrived at his side. Gerard had more time for Priscilla – she might act like the ‘little woman’, but they had spoken in the past and shared many views on how to control the supernatural populace. 

“Priscilla – you are meant to be claiming the body? Sheriff Parrish said – “

“I know what he said! The idiot seems to actually believe that Kate and Victoria were out hiking and were attacked by a wild animal! Well, it was an animal alright! The sheer incompetence of law enforcement in this area is unbelievable – I know wolves took out the last sheriff and no one did anything about that either!”

“Now sweetheart – don’t – “

“Shut up Hamilton!” Gerard watched as Hamilton reared back in shock at his wife’s tone of voice, and several of the hunters in the room turned towards them. “I will not stand for this – it will not do. If you don’t have the stomach for this, then stand aside for those who do! This will not stand!”

* * *

”You can’t hide up here forever, you know,” Stiles said, stepping into David’s room and making himself comfortable on the chair by the bed.

“Fuck off, Stiles,” David replied, his voice muffled by the pile of bedclothes over his head. 

“Come on – we need to talk and you know it.” Reaching over, he tugged on the pile of blankets, pulling at them relentlessly until David’s face emerged. “Jesus, dude, have you been crying the whole time you’ve been holed up in here?!”

“Which part of fuck off do you not get, Stiles?”

“David – “

“You don’t understand what I’m going through – I thought I was in love, Stiles! She made me think I was in love, and that what we had was special – “

“David – “

“We even made love a couple of times – “

“Really?” Despite himself, Stiles couldn’t hold back a grimace at the thought. He had wondered if things had gone that far, if Kate had gone that far, but confirmation made his stomach churn. 

“Don’t say it like that! She – it was special, and I was gonna get better – Kate wasn’t happy but – I’ve been reading and – “

“David, David stop!! Dude – you need to talk this shit through with someone because what she did – what that **hunter** did to you was rape, plain and simple,” Stiles ground out, unable to listen to any more.

“What would you know? You’re a virgin and show zero interest in – “

“Hey! Virgin by choice, dude, and so not the point. Listen, Kate was – what? – nineteen? That makes it rape, dude. And the fact that she was just using you to get information about the pack – “

“You don’t know that!” David finally erupted completely from the blankets, throwing himself onto Stiles and knocking him to the ground. “Take it back – you take it back! She **loved** me – she loved – “

Holding back his strength was difficult but Stiles managed to do it, allowing David to punch him whilst avoiding the worst of the blows. Sooner than he had expected, the storm passed and David slumped over him, chest heaving with sobs as Stiles wrapped his arms around him and comforted his pack-mate. He looked up as the door opened and Peter’s head appeared around the edge. 

“You okay?” Peter mouthed, and Stiles nodded whilst stroking his hand down David’s back. They had all been worried about the teenage boy – he had recovered physically from what Kate and Victoria had done but wouldn’t speak to anyone. Deaton’s sister, Morrell, had come by to speak to him but said he refused to talk about what happened and that perhaps a pack-mate close to him in age would help. That was when Stiles had volunteered. Peter nodded in return and left the room again, closing the door quietly. Nevertheless, David must have heard because he lifted his head from Stiles’ shoulder.

“God, will they never leave me alone?” he groaned, shifting to a sitting position. Stiles mirrored him, the two of them sat with their backs pressed against the bed-frame. 

“They just wanna know you’re okay – you know? This is some heavy shit – what Kate did to you was some heavy shit. Mama Talia is losing her mind because you won’t talk to anyone,” he said, wiping the blood from his nose from where David had managed to land a punch. “You punch like a toddler, dude – you didn’t even manage to break it,” he chided and David gave a hiccuping laugh.

“Yeah, well – I know you’re all fragile,” he replied, dropping his head to Stiles’ shoulder. “I don’t understand how I fell for it, you know? I thought she was okay because Chris – “

“Christopher is different – he’s been more pack than hunter for years now. We should have warned you – I should have warned you. Kate tried this on Derek a few years back but gave up when he and Jackson got together.”

“Yeah – she said I was second choice,” David admitted, his voice low.

“David – she was messing with your head, playing with you. You don’t want to listen to anything that bitch said to you because it was all lies,” Stiles said, wrapping his arm around David’s shoulder. “You’ve got seriously shit taste in women.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” David gave a heavy sigh. “What do I do, Stiles? How do I face the family knowing the danger that I put them in?”

“Oh, hell no! You’re not taking any of that onto yourself! She picked you out, stalked you, seduced you – **none** of that is on you – none of it!” Stiles took a calming breath and made a deliberate attempt to lower his voice – he didn’t want Peter or Talia coming in to make sure everything was okay when David was finally talking. “Look – do you want to get out of here? We could go for a run through the Preserve, help clear your head. Then you can go and let Talia hug the life out of you because she was seriously scared. And **then** we’ll talk through the new security measures you’re going to help me put into place.”

“How can you trust me after – “

“Don’t talk shit, David. And don’t make me kick your ass. You’re my brother and I love and trust you. Nothing will ever change that. You get me?” He waited until David gave a nod before pushing his brother off of him. “Come on – let’s go and get some of our territory’s dirt under our nails and then come back and strategise.”

“Sounds good.”

* * *

Brett had never run so fast in his life. He didn’t know the territory but he didn’t let that hold him back, desperate to escape. Behind him, he could hear shouts, the lights from torches showing him where his pursuers were. They were too close – far too close. 

He knew it had been a stupid idea to come to Beacon Hills – that Peter wasn’t interested. The man had made it perfectly plain that what they had had was a passing thing, a matter of convenience for both of them. Brett hadn’t expected to catch feelings. When Satomi had told him that Peter had returned to Beacon Hills, his first thought had been that maybe on his own ground, Peter would let down some of his guards, be more open to the idea of seeing if things between them could develop. Yeah, Chris Argent was in the mix – everyone knew about him and Peter – but Brett reckoned he was at least as pretty as Chris so stood a decent chance. 

He’d barely made it to the outskirts of the Preserve where the Hale pack lived before he’d picked up a tail. Initially, he’d been wary but thought little of it – he was walking through the woods late at night so he could hardly say anything about someone else doing the same. It was only when the first arrow whistled past his head that he realised  
he was in trouble. 

The Hales had marked the territory thoroughly – it was clear which way to go if you knew where to look – but he wasn’t given time to get his bearings. Before he could even consider calling for help, there had been more arrows and the sounds of a full hunting pack on his trail. And now he was lost. He leant against a tree, catching his breath and pulling his cell out of his pocket. Even in the dim light he allowed himself, it was clear that he had no signal and a sob caught in his throat. No one knew where he was – he hadn’t asked Satomi for permission to leave, hadn’t let Peter know he was coming. 

He was on his own. 

A sound to his left made him growl in his throat, claws descending to defend himself.

“Who the fuck are you?” The boy in front of him flashed blue eyes at him and Brett almost collapsed in relief. 

“I could ask you the same thing – “

“Except you’re on my territory!” the boy responded, turning and gesturing for someone to come up alongside him. A boy in beta shift appeared next to him, pulling them both down in a crouch before transforming to human.

“I don’t know who the hell they are, but they’re not messing about,” he said, slightly out of breath. 

“I didn’t recognise their scent either,” the paler boy with moles replied, turning back to Brett. “So, who the hell are you?”

“My name is Brett – I’m here to see Peter Hale,” he replied, watching the boy in front of him stiffen, eyes flickering between blue and amber. 

“Does Peter know you’re coming?” he asked, his voice authoritative and Brett automatically answered.

“No – but he’ll be pleased to see me if you can get me to him,” he said, overstating slightly. 

“Will he now? I wonder – “An ear-splitting shriek filled the air and Brett moaned, covering his ears. Sonic emitters, the sound almost piercing his ear-drums. He struggled to his feet, instinct telling him he needed to get away from the sound. His two companions were with him, staggering slightly as they pushed him away from the sound. It felt like they ran forever before they escaped the sound and Brett felt directionless – he could have been running in circles for all he knew. 

“There they are!” The shout alerted him to the hunters’ presence and he felt despair take over. They seemed to be everywhere – how the hell was he meant to get away?

“To the right – go – now!” the pale boy said, helping his pack-mate along. Whoever his pack-mate was, he seemed to be particularly sensitive to the emitters, blood flowing from his ears, his face a rictus of pain. “MOVE!” 

He moved as directed, stumbling over roots and plants, branches slapping him in the face. And constantly behind them, the sounds of pursuit. How much further could it be to the Hale manse? A whistling sound was his only warning and he turned, only to take an arrow through the chest that knocked him to the ground. 

“Jesus – “

“David, you have to – “ Whatever the boy had been going to say was interrupted by a loud snap, like an old-fashioned hunter’s trap closing and then there were more whistling sounds and the one called David landed on the ground not far from Brett, clutching at an arrow in his shoulder. 

“God-dammit!” The sounds were nearer now, men’s voices raised in shouts and Brett struggled weakly to get the arrow out of his chest, needing to be on his feet. A shadow over him and he looked up into the sneering face of an older man with white hair, a crossbow held in his hand. 

“Bring them,” he said as Brett lost consciousness.

* * *

Stiles lay in a heap on the ground, his hands tied behind his back, the trap around his ankle immobilising him. In front of him, Gerard Argent stood with three other hunters – two men and a woman – watching as a fourth finished stringing up Brett and David to a tree. He couldn’t even tell if David was alive – the arrow was still in his shoulder and his head hung down limply. Brett had only just returned to consciousness and Stiles almost wished he hadn’t managed to wake up – it would have been better if he remained unaware. 

The steel of the trap around his ankle was a grinding pain that he desperately tried to ignore as he worked to arouse his spark, mind racing as he tried to think what he could do to get them out of this. None of the Pack knew where they were – he had stupidly insisted on him and David having some privacy for their run. 

Rescue wasn’t coming. 

“Was it one of these two?” The woman spoke and Stiles tried to pay attention, twisting his wrists in an attempt to loosen the bonds. 

“It could be either of them – to be honest, they all look the same to me,” said Argent. He reached up and grabbed David’s hair, pulling his head up so that his face could be seen. “This looks like it could be one of the Hale brood, but then again – “

“It doesn’t matter – they’ll do as a message either way,” the woman stated, stepping forward.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Argent said.

“What do you mean?” 

“This is my Argent territory – if you do this and start a war, I fully expect Prescott support,” he stated. 

“Whatever – Hamilton will do whatever I say. They need to pay for what they did to Victoria,” she said. “Do you know who that is?” Stiles closed his eyes quickly as they turned toward him.

“A hanger on, perhaps. Not a wolf as far as my records tell me. We can take him back to the house, ask him properly once this is done,” Gerard said casually, turning to one of the lookers-on. “Pass it to me please.”

Stiles squinted, watching as one of them reached into a bag at his feet and pulled out a broad-sword in a scabbard. 

“It’s a fine weapon – you should be able to do it quite cleanly,” Gerard said. “Would you like me to demonstrate?”

“Yes, that would be excellent. I’m not as practised with a sword as you are,” she said, stepping out of range and giving Stiles a clear view of Brett and David suspended from the tree. Jesus, no, they were going to – 

With one mighty swipe, Gerard swung the sword in a giant arc, slicing through David’s waist, cleanly cutting him in half. The lower part of his body fell to the ground with a meaty thunk, the sound echoing in Stiles’ ears as Brett began to scream and wail. They’d killed David – they’d cut him in half. The scent of blood and guts was heavy in the air, mixed with the scent of his pack-mate. Through tears, biting his lip so hard he could taste blood, Stiles could only stare as the woman stepped forward and took the bloody broad-sword from Argent and moved in front of Brett. 

“This is for my daughter, you filthy mutt! The Prescotts and Argents are declaring open season on **all** of the wolves in Beacon Hills and you’re going to pass on the message!” Stiles squeezed his eyes closed as she swung the blade clumsily, the sound of it hitting Brett’s body making him wince. 

Worse, Brett’s screams rang through the air and Stiles opened his eyes to see that she hadn’t managed a clean cut the way that Argent had. Brett was still alive, writhing and screaming in agony as she hacked and cut at him. His eyes flicked away and he saw David’s lifeless torso hanging from the tree and he finally, blessedly passed out, the torturous sounds ringing in his ears.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, sorry?


	20. Deus ex Machina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the Inspiring Tables prompt Deus ex Machina which I had to look up as I wasn't sure what it meant!
> 
> Meaning: an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel.
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should apologise for the last chapter - I **did** warn you that RL was being a complete bitch to me and the Muse decided to use writing as therapy. 
> 
> Hopefully, it will get better - eventually...
> 
> * * *

“They’ve been gone too long,” Peter said, moving out of Chris’s arms. He hadn’t been happy when Stiles said he and David were going for a run, but having seen that Stiles had managed to get David out of bed had agreed that he was making progress. After a shower and shave, he and Chris had lain down for a rest. But the sense of unease within him was growing and he couldn’t settle for long.

“Peter – “

“What would normally happen in circumstances such as these?” Peter asked, getting up and heading towards his chest of drawers.

“What do you mean?”

“The death of two hunters – or pseudo hunters. What would the families do?” Chris sat up, frowning as he thought about it.

“To be honest, I don’t know. There have been very few circumstances where a hunter has been killed for justified reasons – I would imagine – “

“Christopher – I have a very bad feeling about all of this. We might know that our reasons were justified, but will Victoria’s family? Will Gerard?” Grabbing out some clothes, Peter began to get dressed. “Parrish didn’t quite believe the story about the wild animal, even if he agreed with Talia that Forest and Game would be called if there was another incident. But Gerard – “

Chris got out of the bed, helping himself to some clothes from Peter’s closet. 

“My father can be reactionary but – “

“But what?” 

“We should call together your pack. I don’t like this any more than you do,” Chris said, his face grim.

* * *

”He knows nothing – I’m not even sure he knew they were wolves before this evening,” Gerard said with a sneer, looking down at the boy on the floor. Throughout the thorough beating he had received, the boy had whimpered, cried and generally proven himself to be a whiny little brat. He knew nothing and he certainly wasn’t anything supernatural. 

“What do we do with him?” asked one of the hunters in the room, removing the knuckle-dusters he had been using and cleaning them off. 

“I think he might make a suitable message to the Hales – he obviously knows of them. We should leave him on their property – maybe call the police at the same time,” Gerard mused. 

“Is that wise? The bodies in the Preserve are a suitable message to the Hales but do we want to bring law enforcement attention to things by killing a human?” Gerard looked at the man, appreciating that he seemed to have a brain. 

“What’s your name?”

“Raeken, sir. Theo Raeken. I was recently recruited by Ms Argent,” he said, standing at attention. He was a little too pretty for Gerard’s tastes but he could see what Kate might have liked in him. He had a calm demeanour and seemed good at taking orders. 

“Good thinking. Take him back to the Hale’s Manse – leave him at the door. Alive.” Gerard turned back to Stiles. “If you can manage that without being caught, then perhaps we can discuss your future here – there are some gaps we need to fill.”

“Yes sir,” Raeken replied, almost saluting. Gerard pulled the boy’s head back and looked into his face. Yes, he would definitely make a good message to the Hales – whether they were animals or human, none of their allies was safe from retribution.

* * *

Talia paced backwards and forwards, ignoring the glances from the pack members. Christopher and Peter had spread out blueprints of the Argent compound and were discussing entry points but it all felt like it was taking too long. Normally, David and Stiles disappearing overnight wouldn’t be cause for concern – they were young and liked to roam the territory, often sleeping outdoors. But Peter was right – this didn’t feel right – not at all. 

She hadn’t wanted to be a helicopter parent, hovering over David as if he was broken. Morrell had suggested allowing a pack-mate of a similar age to speak to him and when Stiles had volunteered, she had been relieved. Managing to get David to leave his room and go for a run had been an achievement and she had hoped that they were at the beginning of the road to recovery. When she thought of what that bitch had done to her son – the psychological damage she might have caused – it made her fangs itch. Only the need to try to keep peace in the territory had stopped her from storming the Argent Compound already. 

If they had laid a hand on either of the boys – 

“Mom?” She turned to Derek who was holding one of the landline handsets. “It’s Satomi. She said she needs to speak to you.” Accepting the handset, Talia moved to the side of the room.

“Satomi,” she said.

“Alpha Hale. I was wondering if you had received a visit from one of my pack – Brett Talbot?” Satomi asked.

“I don’t recognise the name and we haven’t had any visitors. Is there any reason to assume he was coming to Hale territory?” Talia asked, frowning.

“He had a – liaison with your brother, Peter. It was casual – all of us could see that – but Brett could be persistent. With Peter returning to his rightful pack, Brett seemed restless. I wondered if he had attempted to make a grand romantic gesture,” Satomi replied. “I have tried calling his cell with no success.”

“Satomi – normally, I would go and look for him but there’s a bit of a situation at the moment – “

“I appreciate that your territory is large but I would consider it a personal favour – Brett is young and a little impetuous – but not to contact us at all is – worrying,” Satomi insisted. 

“Of course – we’re actually about to – “ Talia turned to Peter, an awful thought coming to her. “Peter – Brett Talbot?” Peter looked up from where he was working with Christopher, grimacing slightly.

“Yes – we were friends while I was with Satomi, but there were clearly no strings,” he stated. 

“Not that – if he was coming to see you – “

“You think – “

“Is it possible you guys could talk in full sentences so those amongst us without telepathy can tell what you’re thinking?” Christopher asked. Talia put the handset to her mouth.

“Satomi – I am wondering if your Brett’s disappearance has anything to do with the situation we’re dealing with. I will keep you apprised.”

“Thank you, Alpha Hale – and if you need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me,” Satomi replied before disconnecting the call. 

“You think Brett is involved in Stiles and David’s disappearance?” Peter asked, frowning.

“I’m wondering if he got caught up in it. If Argent – sorry Chris – was looking for revenge, he might not realise that Brett is not a member of our Pack.” She checked her watch, realising that they had been strategising for several hours. “I wonder do we let people get some sleep then begin a search or – “

“NO!” Peter exclaimed, the worry on his face clear. “I don’t think we have time to waste.” Jackson came into the room, followed by Fenrir. 

“The dog’s going insane – when the hell is Stiles getting back?” Talia turned to Peter, wondering what they should say. They didn’t want to alarm the Pack unnecessarily but if there was something untoward happening, they should be warned. They were already on alert after the Kate situation but if it was escalating – 

Fenrir began barking and howling, running to Peter then back to the door. 

“What the hell – “

Without a word, Peter followed the dog as it ran out of the room and Talia followed, aware of Chris, Jackson and Derek doing the same. Peter opened the front door and Fenrir raced outside, tearing off down the driveway towards an incoming vehicle. Talia watched as the unknown car made it’s way to the courtyard, coming to a stop in front of the main steps. She didn’t recognise the driver, watching with wary eyes as he got out of the car and made a point of showing his hands. Fenrir had followed the vehicle back to the house and was dancing around the rear door, barking furiously.

“Can someone call off the dog? He looks like he might take a chunk out of me if he doesn’t like something I do,” the young man said.

“And well he might,” Peter stated from his position at the bottom of the steps. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“My name’s Theo Raeken and I’m here to deliver a message from Gerard Argent,” the young man said and Peter growled menacingly, stepping forward as Theo held up his hand. “Just maybe not the message he intended. Will someone give me a hand?” 

“Stiles – “ As Theo opened the rear door of the car, the scent of familiar blood reached Talia and she stepped forward, only Derek’s hand on her arm preventing her from rushing to the car. 

“Careful, Mom – it could be a trap,” Derek said, standing tense at her side. 

Peter stepped forward and assisted Theo in pulling out a limp figure from the back of the car, and it took a few moments for Talia to recognise Stiles. He was unconscious, his face a mass of bruises and cuts. She could only imagine what kind of beating he must have taken for them not to have healed yet. 

Theo and Peter carried Stiles into the house, heading towards the living room, and Talia noted that Chris had disappeared. Good – it would be handy if there was someone there that Theo hadn’t seen, just in case he tried something. They placed Stiles on the couch and Derek rushed off to get the first aid kit whilst Peter arranged the young man to make him as comfortable as possible.

Theo had stepped back, observing the interactions and Talia took in the calculating look on his face and resolved to watch him very carefully.

“What’s the message?” She asked, her tone firm.

“He thinks Stiles is human,” Theo said, nodding towards where Derek had returned with the first aid kit, as well as a bowl of water and some clothes. Peter was cleaning him off as gently as possible, although there was no sound from Stiles. “They did this to let you know that none of your allies are safe – whether they are human or werewolf,” Theo continued.

“And your message? You said it was different to Gerard’s,” she asked, trying to keep her temper under control.

“They want a war, Alpha Hale, and they are determined to get one. Gerard has another Hunter Family backing his play – the Prescotts,” Theo said. 

“And?”

“Firstly, you need to know that I wasn’t there but the guys who were came back and told us – “ Theo looked uncomfortable.

“Told you what?”

“They went out on a hunt with Gerard and Priscilla Prescott – they captured two werewolves in the forest,” Theo said, lowering his head submissively.

“When you say they captured two werewolves in the Preserve – what do you mean?”

“Do you know how Hunters symbolise that they are going to war?” Theo asked.

“No. And I would really prefer it if you would stop beating around the bush and get to what you need to tell me. I still haven’t decided if you are friend or foe, Mr Raeken,” Talia said, allowing her eyes to bleed red menacingly.

“To symbolise an alliance and declare war, hunters perform a kill together. In the oldest tradition, they use a broad-sword on the captured prey and leave it for it’s clan or pack to find,” Theo said, taking a step back when Talia began to growl. 

“What are you saying?”

“I need to get back – Gerard is expecting me. This is the only warning I can give you – you will find their real message in the middle of the Preserve. They didn’t attempt to hide it. **Don’t** react in anger – you need to stay calm and think.” Theo began to edge towards the door. “And please remember, whatever you choose to do – you have an ally in Gerard’s camp.”

“Jackson – get Riordan!” Peter’s voice came as if from a distance, all of Talia’s attention on Theo. 

“Tell me,” she growled, stalking towards him.

“Please don’t kill the messenger. I need to go – please,” Theo said, tilting his head to show his submission to her even as he backed further away until he hit the door with a thud. He jumped when Riordan came in through the other door, heading directly towards Talia.

“My love – “

“Make him tell us,” she said, grabbing onto her mate’s arm, needing the security of his presence to stop the world from tilting on its axis. This could not be true – what this man was implying simply could not be. 

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Theo said, taking advantage of Riordan’s grip on Talia to slide out of the room. Talia turned to her husband, desperate for him to tell that she had misunderstood, that what Theo had been saying wasn’t true.

“Riordan – “

“Where did he say?” Riordan asked and Peter got to his feet.

“The middle of the Preserve,” Peter said, coming to stand by her side. The sound of a vehicle starting up and driving away seemed unnaturally loud to her ears. 

“Send Laura and Derek – tell them to keep an eye out for traps,” Riordan said, pulling Talia into his arms. Peter nodded his understanding and left the room, leaving Talia with her husband and unconscious form of Stiles. “Talia – “

“No,” she said, unable to accept what he was saying. She buried her face in his neck, breathing deeply of his beloved scent even as it felt like her heart was breaking. “We don’t know if he was telling the truth – if what he was saying – “

“Feel the pack bond, my love,” Riordan said, his voice gentle. Nevertheless, she could hear the pain in his voice, could scent his anger, the bone-deep hurt. She laid her head onto his chest and wept.

* * *

Laura and Derek brought the bodies back in heavy sacks, solemnly taking them to the nearby Hale burial ground which held over four generations of Hales. 

David was laid to rest with a ceremonial spiral of wolfs-bane whilst Talia looked on, dry-eyed and resolute. 

Satomi Ito had been contacted and was making her way to Beacon Hills with some trusted betas by her side – it was understood that Brett would be laid to rest with his Pack. 

Stiles remained unconscious with Peter and Chris by his side. 

The Pack prepared for war.

* * *


	21. Chapter 21

“You’re probably thinking - “ Stiles tripped over a tree root, barely catching the end of David’s sentence. “ – that I’d be alive right now if you hadn’t made me go for a run.”

“Yeah – “

“Or that if we hadn’t stopped for that Brett guy – who was so _obviously_ fucking Peter by the way – that maybe we could have out-run the hunters because we know the territory better,” David continued. 

Catching up with his brother, Stiles pushed him gently with his shoulder. “Yeah – maybe.”

“Of course, he’d still be dead,” David mused. “Or maybe while you were lying on the ground with a hunter’s trap on your ankle, you should have been able to magic our way out of it instead of doing _exactly_ what you did while they had you – “

“You would be alive – if it wasn’t for me,” Stiles replied.

“Would I? Because I distinctly remember you flattening Kate’s head like a pancake because she hurt me!”

“That was different – “

“Or the time I decided that I wanted to be Spiderman instead of a werewolf and tried to climb the side of the clock-tower and – “ Stiles laughed involuntarily at the memory. David had got stuck halfway up and Stiles had climbed up to help his brother down, taking the piss out of him the entire way. “Or what about that time at school when they were all trying to say we were a cult living out in the Preserve and the two of us kicked ass – “

“ – yeah, and you broke your hand accidentally punching the climbing bars and we got in trouble because we didn’t want to tell Mama Talia – “

“And there are so many other times you pulled my ass out of the fire, Stiles.” They walked in silence for a few moments. “You know, for a while I thought every guy in our family was gay? Like, Derek and Jackson are not exactly quiet about what they get up to – and you, Chris and Peter are, like, written in the stars or some shit like that.”

“I didn’t know that,” Stiles replied, leaning harder against David. It was so strange – he was there but Stiles could barely feel him, his scent fading as they walked.

“Yeah – I kinda had a thing for you for a little while,” David admitted.

“Dude!”

“I know, gross right?”

“I mean, I know I’m hot stuff but – “ David pushed him but it barely shifted Stiles on his feet and he sobered instantly.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you David,” he said quietly.

“Yeah. Me too. But you can save our family,” David replied.

“They don’t need me – the token fuck-up half-human,” Stiles muttered. “And my spark isn’t working – “

“You were never _just_ your spark, Stiles! You’re the god-damn Left Hand of the Hale Pack and they need you,” David insisted. “Wake up Stiles – they **need** you to wake up! NOW!” 

His spark sizzled through him and Stiles lurched awake, blue eyes blazing!

* * *


	22. War

“Chris hit the wolf alarm!” 

The first hint that Peter had that Stiles was conscious was when he suddenly sat up and croakily shouted the instruction at Christopher. Christopher did as directed, falling out of the bed in his haste to obey. Stiles turned to Peter, his voice husky from days of not speaking. “Is Satomi here?”

“Yes – she arrived this morning,” Peter replied, helping Stiles out of the bed. Stiles nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed to catch his breath. 

“Dress, assemble – lower areas. Get Jackson – please,” he asked and Peter turned to Christopher, not sure what was going on. Pulling on clothes, Christopher left the room, leaving Peter confused and awaiting some sort of explanation. “We need to get dressed and get down to the tunnels,” Stiles said.

Peter helped Stiles get dressed in jeans, a tee-shirt and boots, whilst he simply chose sweats – it made it easier if he had to change form.

“Do I get any sort of explanation?” he asked once Stiles was dressed. 

“Wolf alarm – doesn’t let anyone watching the house know that we’re on alert but everyone inside can hear it and knows we need to get up, fast.” The bedroom door opened and Jackson hurried into the room, followed by Derek. “Cool. Dude – can you check out the perimeter – stay high – they’re not expecting a wall-crawler.”

“Who – “

“Argent. And that Prescott bitch,” Stiles bit out angrily. “They know about the upper security but not the tunnels. We need to be ready for mountain ash around the exterior of the house, as well as snipers in the surrounding trees,” he continued. Providing support as and when needed, Peter followed Stiles down to the basement area of the house, seeing that the entire Pack had gathered as directed. He was impressed with both their speed and obedience – obviously, they had practised this enough times that everyone knew what they were doing. 

Talia rushed over and hugged Stiles, and Peter watched as for a moment the boy clung to her. He must have wondered if he would ever see his Alpha again – that, on top of the trauma of David and Brett, it was no wonder that he had taken a few days to recover. 

“What are we looking at?”

“Jackson is checking out above ground; we need to head for the Nemeton in the first instance. I’m sorry, but I think the plan is to burn the Den down around us – “

“It’s just a house when all is said and done – we’ve been aware that hunters knowing our exact whereabouts could lead to something like this,” Talia interrupted. Stiles nodded and pulled away from her embrace. 

“Everybody buddy up – you know how it goes,” Stiles said, walking around and touching everyone, Peter realised he was also checking on their preparedness, giving them the reassurance that they needed and he was slightly awed by what this sixteen-year-old boy was capable of doing. Christopher appeared from the main door that led to the underground tunnels, fully kitted out in hunter gear. 

“Ready, Stiles. I _think_ I could sense it about half a mile out but – “

“No worries, Christopher, all good. See if you can infiltrate outside – not everyone will recognise you as Gerard’s son so you just might be able to sneak around a bit,” Stiles said, then stopped. “If you see a new wolf out there, not one of ours – “

“You mean Theo?” Peter asked and Stiles nodded, his lips tightening. 

“If you can grab him, do it. I owe him,” Stiles replied. “Silver knuckle-dusters were overkill and I know he cracked a few of my teeth. If I can return the favour – “

“But he said he’s on our side,” Derek protested, having arrived from the upstairs, and Stiles gave a bitter laugh.

“I bet he did! Raeken is on nobody’s side but his own. Don’t kill him unless you have to – he has no affiliation with us so didn’t need to choose to help, but don’t go out of your way **not** to kill him either,” he stated. 

“What about the mountain ash?” Peter asked, following Stiles as he led the way down into the tunnels. Small lights had been installed into the walls so that they could find their way, but Peter knew that unless he had known they were here, he wouldn’t have been able to find them. The hunters shouldn’t be able to follow them down here.

Stiles laughed at his question, giving Peter a cocky smile. 

“Something else Argent doesn’t know – a handy side-benefit of me not being your average, every day wolf? I can handle mountain ash just fine!”

* * *

”What the fuck was that?” The cry came from his right and Gerard turned towards it, hearing a gurgling sound then a thud. 

“Priscilla – get your guys to call in,” he ordered, turning to face the woman behind him. 

“What? You said the wolves were all inside the house?”

“Did you not hear that?” he said, annoyed with her questioning his orders. 

“Yes, but – “ her complaint was cut off by yet another cry and she fumbled with her radio. He heard her going through the call-signs, cursing when less than half of their force responded as directed. How had everything gone so wrong?

“Set off the charges now,” he said, stepping back into the trees.

“But if they’re not all inside – “

“We can pick off any survivors – besides, the death of their pack should be enough to distract whichever mutt asshole is out here causing chaos,” he shouted, satisfied when she seemed to regain her equilibrium, squaring her shoulders. 

“Tango four, operation is a go,” she said into the radio, and using his infrared goggles, Gerard could see one of their operatives towards the side of the house setting the fuses. The charges around the house shouldn’t show up on any report from the fire-department – he paid handsomely enough to be covered against that – and if something went wrong there, he could ensure the correct arson investigator was assigned that it would be labelled as an accident. 

Either way, the Hales were going to pay for what they had done. 

The fire spread quickly, the house beginning to burn brightly in the darkness and he watched the front door. There were at least three of their people in the trees, ready to pick off anyone who came through the front door. Wolfs-bane bullets would take out any wolves that made it out and the mountain-ash barrier should prevent them from getting too close to the hunters. Nothing could go wrong.

* * *

The mountain ash was gone in a second and Stiles watched as his family, his Pack transformed into wolves and as one, went on the hunt. The buddy system worked well, set up to make the most of people’s strengths whilst protecting them from their weaknesses. Silent and deadly, the wolves moved through the Preserve, paws silent as they knew every inch of the land and could easily avoid any clumsy traps the hunters had laid out for them. 

With Peter by his side, Stiles made his way around to the front of the property, knowing that that would be where Gerard Argent would be. He would want a front-row seat to the destruction of the pack that had killed his daughter. 

There were muffled cries and screams, the sound of shots, but no whimpers, no sounds of any pack members getting hurt. The memory of David – of watching his brother die – flooded his mind, added speed to his feet until he and Peter were behind Gerard Argent and Priscilla Prescott, ready to enact their vengeance. 

From the side, Christopher appeared, casually wiping blood from his blade as he joined Stiles and Peter. 

“What the – “ Gerard spluttered as Talia leapt from the trees, knocking his weapon from his hand and sending him crashing to the ground. Prescott screamed as Riordan did the same, scrambling backwards until she was cringing next to Gerard on the ground. Both Talia and Riordan changed to their human forms, proud in their nudity, streaked with the blood of their slain enemies. 

“It would appear that you are trespassing on Hale ground, Mr Argent,” Stiles said, stepping into the moonlight so that Gerard could see him clearly. 

“You!” Gerard bellowed, confusion on his face. “How – “

“Oh, are you wondering just how I survived that beating you dished out? How come I’m on my feet and ready to enact justice?” Stiles stepped forward, Chris and Peter by his side until he was stood directly over Gerard. “Just because you cannot perceive it, does not mean that it doesn’t exist. We are not animals, weak and feeble, led by our baser instincts. We are wolves – we are human – but above all, we are better than _you_.”

“We can come to an arrangement – a treaty – “ Priscilla whimpered and Riordan slapped her across the face, the blow almost breaking her neck and rendering her dazed and nearly unconscious. 

“Why would we want a treaty with such as you?” Stiles said, leaning down so that he was looking directly into Gerard’s face as he allowed his eyes to flash blue. “There is a new breed of hunter, Gerard Argent. The one _good_ thing in your life, one that you never appreciated.” As Stiles spoke, Chris stepped up to his side so that his father could see him clearly. 

“Chris – “ Gerard sounded shocked for a moment. “You traitorous, useless – “ Stiles’ foot on his throat stopped his speech.

“No. You don’t get to speak to him – ever again. You don’t get to spew your hatred into the beauty of our territory – you don’t get to sow discord and unhappiness. The only thing you get to do now, Mr Argent, is die.”

As he spoke, Stiles moved aside, allowing Talia to step forward and slice through Gerard’s throat. The man struggled, gurgling blood as he tried to breathe, crawling away from them before coming to a stop with his back resting against a tree. 

Christopher followed him, looking down at his father dispassionately.

“You should be happy, father. The Argent name will live on – joined with the Hales, of course. And just think how powerful a force we’re going to become now that we’ve cleaned the land of the likes of you,” Christopher said. “And even better, you won’t have to see your son marry a wolf, or a hybrid – because you will simply cease to exist. You won’t even be a footnote in Argent history.” 

The rest of the Pack appeared through the trees, gathering around to watch silently as David’s murderer struggled for breath, writhing in pain, before dying in agony minutes later. Priscilla Prescott came round, moaning as she sat up, her face a pale oval of terror as she took in what was happening. 

“The scent of our dead compatriot clings to you,” Talia said in an angry tone, sneering down at Priscilla. She turned towards the large grey wolf on the outskirts, gesturing it forward.

“Satomi – I present to you the one who killed your Pack-mate. She is my gift to you, with my condolences on your loss,” Talia stated. Stiles took his place to the left side of his alpha, aware of Peter pressing against his side, Christopher resting his hand on Peter’s flank. 

They watched, silent witnesses, as Satomi took her revenge.

* * *


	23. The Watcher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was just the beginning of a long-con....
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, don't kill me! 
> 
> This part of The Boy Raised by Wolves has come to an end. I know there weren't any _real_ sexy times with our favourite threesome, but there will be. 
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read, for taking a chance on another WiP and I hope you enjoyed baby!Stiles being a badass!
> 
> * * *

Theo watched from his vantage point as the Hales dealt with the hunters, efficiently taking them out wherever they were hidden until there were no survivors. He felt little to no remorse as he watched the men and women he had worked with for six months being taken out by the werewolves. He had wondered if Deucalion had been right, whether the Hales would prevail, but it would appear that the older wolf knew what he was talking about. 

Using the Hales to get rid of the hunters in the area had, indeed, been the right move. 

His short visit to the Hales' house had given him _some_ idea of their normal security measures, but obviously that wouldn’t be useful information now – there was very little chance that they would be able to save the house – the sounds of the building collapsing inside were loud in the quiet of the night. He wondered whether they would rebuild on top of the ruins or move sites. The Preserve had plenty of space for them if they wished to move.

He was a little pissed. His information had been incorrect with regard to the Argents – there had ultimately been very little available about Christopher Argent, and it would appear that he was firmly on the side of the wolves. That had been a surprise – the Argent clan were known to be as fanatical as a cult when it came to their hatred of the supernatural. Duke would want to know more about Christopher. 

Theo had known that there was something _off_ about Stiles – that he was more than human but not quite a wolf. Whilst treating him as a punching bag for Argent’s amusement, Theo had learnt that the boy was strong, stubborn and definitely _more_ than he initially seemed. Theo hadn’t understood why Deucalion wanted him to see if there was a way into the Pack to observe Stiles more closely – not that it mattered since that endeavour seemed to have failed. But the boy was interesting – he would like the opportunity to peel him open and examine his insides.

Theo found it intriguing to see that Stiles played the role of Left-Hand in the Hale Pack, was respected and listened to. That, too, would be something Duke would be extremely interested in. 

Theo sighed. He didn’t understand why Deucalion hadn’t used the mini-war as an opportunity to attack, but had been told quite clearly that this was a long-con. Deucalion was utterly adamant – the Alpha pack would not be visiting Beacon Hills for at least another couple of years. From Theo’s perspective, that just gave the Hales time to recover and rebuild, when to him it made much more sense to attack now while they were vulnerable, easily handled.

But it was not to be.

Realising that the Hales were beginning the task of cleaning things up, Theo realised that he didn’t have time to hang around and faded into the trees

Deucalion had mentioned Switzerland as his next assignment…

* * *

**END OF PART I**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> To the usual suspects and the new inmates 
> 
> Every mind matters. Take care of your mental health in these trying times. Reach out if you need help. Reach out if you think someone needs help.
> 
> Let's get through this together
> 
> Skar  
> x
> 
> * * *


End file.
